THE MUNICIPAL WAR.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 63, 25 October 1900, Page 2

THE MUNICIPAL WAR.

*;T0 THB-H&I > F6fe. Sir,— l was present, Ws :i a Wl&■tafjor, on the field of batSe on Monday night, anxious to hefar"fdr myself the " easus belli,*' i'n&ep_efisetffc ,of Newspaper reports. 'Cr.'Ooltman, as General Tba "eom'eadficl of 'the rebels^ fired the -ebofe, 5 being supported -at ifie by^Or/'Jones. This "was promptly replied foby*flita Worship, whereupon Cr. "Coltoafi : rettfrWd the flreivit&'an dfcplosnte bullet* This, strange to say, diS not explode, btiij .was secureS bythte Mayor and -speedily destroyed, m being of too dangerous a nature to* place among the municipal archives His Worship .parleyed with the rebels and stated that he decidedly objected to th£ use of explosive bullets, as frotct fheir "compositi('& and,nafcure they were not fit for v % iaiciyilized warfare. ' This had the effect of draw rug upon the Mayor & perfeot fusil ade of shots, none of which seernedj to the onloofcer3, to have any effect ; but a' withering fire from his superior artillery utterly routed ihe foe, "who, upofl the preconcerted Tsignal from the rebel General, retreateel in a demoralised condition, hurling -defiance -and insults at tbe trr--urapharit M«yor arid his foyal councillors. The reason why the reb® ammunition proved so useless was because it was manufactured untltfr severe pressure at the newlyesfcabHsiiecf Caucus Factory. The rebels must riow regret that they did not rehearse the -farce more carefully, as there can be no doubt that -it was their intention- to act with dramatic effect. The effect, however, upon the onlookers \ i m lufeicrous in the extreme, the very visible grins on their faces testifying ' to - thi3 fact, especially when the retreat was sounded and 'enaetecf. As *n- attxious enquirer ■affee'r truth, I was extremely surprised that the -rebels showed such a weafe front* Neither the ceb&l General or any $ his fo"rce ■•advanced, a single argument justifying the attitude' taketf up by themselves in revolting. *& ee?tainly left a strong impression upon my tnicd -fcttat they hai'nb • just cause, which was intensified when the rebel General fired hi* last couaplimenfcj " You are not fit for the the^position/* Stfrely they" should have stuck to their gung, and fought the battle Out there and "then, as they were offered a faff £etd, -ipsteai of noting in^uch a« hystej?ieal, puerile manner. Bad generalship-! M-ay the councillor who will take -their places refleofc mcfre credji oa the^&dgexaenb of the Waimfcte burgesses- is the4iope df Onlookeb, :