THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1878.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2810, 15 February 1878, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1878.

! Bobottgh Councillors arc getting very generous with tho ratepayers' money. Last night application was made to remit the rent on the Tramways, on tho representation of the lessee that they were not paying expenses. Without any inquiry or even duo comideration the rent was j remitted, Councillor McGowan being the only one to object. We protest against this excessive liberality of Councillors. These tramways (those most used in the town) were constructed partly out of ratepayers' money—two thirds of the cost, we believe, were contributed by tho Borough—and the lessee obtained a twenty - one years' lease at a merely nominal rent. Tho good times should be taken with the bad, and if traffic is a little dull now, that should not be allowed to influence Councillors fn remitting the rent. If an unfortunate ratepayer asks to be forgiven a few shill;ngs of rates because of sickness or misfortune, unless his case has been made public by somo extraordinary circumstances, all sorts of enquires have to be made before the request is acceded to, and then it may be the sum is not written off, but only allowed to stand over. In the case of the lessee of tramways no demur is made to remitting the rent year after year, when it is patent to anyone with eyes that some portions of the tramway are nearly always being used. Even tho Grahamstown and Tararu line is used to bring in firewood, which the lessee or his servants can deliver in parts of Grahamstown at a price no carter can compete with. We have no desire to enlarge upon this topic, neither do we impute blame to the lessee. He is shrewd enough to get all the advantage he can out of his contract. With the Councillors it is different. They areelected to look after and

make the most of the ratepayers* interests; and the latter would do well to protest most emphatically against such unwarrantable acts as that of Borough Councillors last night in remitting the rent of the tramways.