STRATFORD.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 June 1916, Page 3

STRATFORD.

COUNCILLORS AND NEWSPAPER CRITICISM. •YOUR OWN" IN REPLY. When persons accept or have public positions thrust upon them they should expect to be criticised by the burgesses sending them there, and, if necessary, through the Press. In the article which "your own" wrote, the object was to at any rate point out the need of certain works being proceeded with and the neglected state of the town. The article has done good, as from almost every part of the borough residents have informed rue that since the article appeared in print the borough staff are to be seen cleaning up the streets and footpaths, and, | strange to say, they have never seen so much valuable work done for many years than is going on at present. Even his Worship the Mayor admitted at Monday night's meeting that the footpaths of the borough required attention, and that was exactly what the article said. Coming to Cr. Thompson's remarks one could not help smiling over his remark that it was "impertinence" on my part to draw attention to the state of the town. Since this councillor considers it "impertinence," might I suggest a further ''impertinent" question and.ask if the ratepayers are aware that the borough staff have for close on three days been at work fixing up a footpath near Cr. Thompson's new residence whilst the footpath on the other side was left until "your own" drew his Worship's attention to what looked like a public scandal, and he (his Worship) instructed the engineer in my presence to immediately see that the path on the other side was attended to? His Worship informed me that it certainly did look a bit "hot" to fix up the path of the chairman of the Works Committee and leave the path on the other side unattended to, especially as Cr. Thompson had not yet got into bis house. Another "impertinent" question: Ts Cr. Thompson aware, as chairman of the Works Committee, that valuable steel screens in connection with the borough crushing plant are lying out in all weathers, slowly rusting away for the want of covering, and have been so for many months past? Now we come to Cr. Mills, who is looked upon as the genius of the Council. In his remarks on Monday night lie stated that in one paragraph I condemned the engineer for doing unauthorised work, etc. Now, if this councillor will read the article again he will find not one word was said about the engineer. In fact, the word "engineer" was not mentioned in the whole article, and when this sainc councillor talks about "inconsistency" he ought to blush with shame. One example of this gentleman's inconsistency might bo mentioned—there are •very many more. When the question of drainage rate first came before the Council this councillor made a long speech, and opposed the idea for all he was worth. A few months after the motion came forward again, and the said councillor made another long speech and supported the proposal, and the opinions expressed by some of his brother councillors on his "turncoat" attitude were such that the !Press could not publish them.

Cr. Lawson treated r*» article with "contempt," yet the same couwsijor admitted that he had been round the borough and quite approved of the work that was being done by the engineer and stall'. It evidently took this councillor to some streets that he had never visited before, so the article did him some good.

There was one point in his Worship's statement that was incorrect, lie stated that the water running over the path near St. .Mary's School was"fixed up the very next day. His Worship must have ben misinformed, because "your rtwn" asserts that the water was running over the footpath from Sunday to Thursday,

As for belittling the town, if by publishing at the request of numerous ratepayers, regarding the neglected state of streets and footpaths in which they reside is going to belittle the town, then "your own," with the editor's permission, will continue to do so, feeling sure that the Press owes a duty to the electors as well as to the councillors, some of whom seem to think that they only represent the 3treet they live in.

.Since writing the. above, "your own" has to confess that the borough staff have made an excellent job of tixing up a footpath to his residence. Surely this is not a shadow of Tammany!