THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 1878.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2952, 1 August 1878, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 1878.

It is a matter of common rumour that at the meeting of the Borough Council to be held this evening an effort will be made to get Councillors to authorise the sending of a special delegate to Wellington during the session, ostensibly to look after the interests of the Borough. We know that Mr F. 0: Dean, Town Clerk—with the

best intentions, no doubt, and an unswerving faith in the political influence of the present civic chief, in which respect he stauds almost alone—has been doing his utmost for some time past to have the Mayor sent to Wellington; while the Mayor (it is said), has affected a disinclination to be sent, a decided reluctance to go to Wellington, and an admirably assumed indifference for the position of Borough delegate on any terms—a species of coquetry that does not deceive any one in face of the report that the Mayor has already made arrangements to go to Wellington under any circumstances. We would also remind Borough Councillors that Mr F. C. Dean is not always right, neither i are Town Clerks as a rule infallible. Indeed we are inclined to the belief that some of them, after a few years of office, are apt to arrogate to themselves functions which if permitted will soon reduce the position of councillor to the insignificance of a mere automaton; a result that will be decidedly disadvantageous to the ratepayers and deter sensible men, who mi^kfc otherwise aspire to tye office of councillor, from taking part in local matters. We have said before, and we repeat it, that we see no reason for sending a special delegate to Wellington to represent this Borough, and councillors will not be justified in incurring the expense of such a proceeding. The Municipal Conference now sitting should be thoroughly competent to deal with all municipal matters. At this Conference the Borough is represented by Mr E.H. Power until the arrival of Mr William Kowe; and it is believed that this Conference will close their labors in a few days. At any rate, Mr Eowe, M.H.R., has represented the Borough before, and it has not been shown that the district suffered from the absence of a special delegate. It may be argued that when a former Mayor was sent down he achieved a great work for the Borough. We admit it. He go' a large overdraft wiped off. But we have not such au overdraft to meet now, and if we had, we should not be able to urge the same pleas which induced Ministers to undertake our liabilities then. But, say some, there is the Thames Valley Eailway Bill to be worked, and the general question of endowments, foreshore, Water Works Amendment Bill, and other matters. Granted that all these matters require looking after by a person on the spot, we say there is a gentleman there who is as much interested in these matters as any one the Borough can send, and who possesses as much influence with the Government and members: we allude to the County Chairman, Mr A lesser Brodie, who has been deputed to attend the County Conference. Mr Brodie, as County Chairman, is as much interested in the Thames and Waikato Eailway as any Borough Councillor. He is also interested in the endowment question, and the Bill to give enlarged borrowing powers to the Domestic Water Supply Corporation; and if the Harbor Board have an axe to grind beyond the foreshore, Mr Brodie, we feel sure, would gladly undertake to look after that. We are utterly opposed to this system of crowding the lobbies of the House with special delegates. Both our members have been well posted in regard to the wants of this district. They will further have the benefit of the united municipal wisdom of the Colony, and we have a capital representative on the spot iv the person of the County Chairman if it is considered that reminders require to be given to the Government or members. Under these circumstances, and until some better arguments are adduced in favor of the Borough sending a special delegate, we protest against any expenditure being incurred fortbatpurposebeyond the Borough's fair share towards the actual expenses of the County representative already there, and that only in case the other local bodies join in delegating to him their special business, in addition to the questions referred to above, jn which all are jointly interested. Should the Borough Council persist in being led into the expense of a special delegate to gratify the Town Clerk in carrying out an idea, we hope that some ratepayer who shares our view of the question will take some steps to try the validity of the action, which is calculated to lead to greater abuses, and a scandalous misappropriation of public money for private ends.