BOROUGH ANOMALIES.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 108, 14 February 1901, Page 2

BOROUGH ANOMALIES.

TO the editor. Sir, —In your report of the last Borough Council meeting you say Councillor Coltman staled that there was not another man in Waimate less lit to hold the position of town clerk than Mr C. Akhurst. The “Thunderer ” was dumb on this point, and as it has not been contradicted, Mr Coltman stands self-couvicfed of being a cowardly slanderer. Farther down in your report I see that Councillor Coltman assisted in making Mr Akhurst a donation of 12s 3d out of the public purse. Now, if this gentleman saw that ha had made a fool of himself, and wanted to make his marble good with Mr Akhurst, he should have done so out of his own pocket. As a ratepayer I protest, and I shall not be satisfied unless the clerk expends that 12s 3d in procuring a little more legal advice. Councillor Mann, while letting himself loose, said “be could tell more if he liked." So you could, Harry. Why, you could even tell that, although there is an Act of Parliament prohibiting any councillor from doing work for the Couucd of which he is a member under a penalty not exceeding <£so, you were mean enough to do work for the Council, and actually sat at the table and voted on the payment of your own account. Oh ! you champion of the people’s liberty, Why, there is not a ratepayer but has the right to sue you for the amount of the cheque you received from the Council, and if your opponents were as vindictive as yourself you would have been shown up in your true colours long ago. Is it any wonder the nightman resigns ? But have heart, my fellow burgesses. As long as we have two such able men in the Council as Messrs Mann and Coltman, Mr Wilson’s loss can be borne with indifference. Councillor CoUman blocked the appointment of

Mr Baxter, and also that of a town clerk, on account of a bye law which his friend had unearthed for him, and which he 3:».id prevented the Council engaging a mail without first advertising for applicants and stating the wages to be paid. Has he so soon forgotten his pet bye-law ? If uot, what does he mean by moving to advertise for two men, bach to tender ? One of these men has to provide a one-horse team, which is an impossibility, as any schoolboy knows that “ team ” is plural, and consists of two or more. No word about a plant. His the suffering ratepayer to find ■dray, plough, &i. ? If not, why is it not inserted in the “Wanteds”? ‘Then, if we pay a man to do S-andie’s work, what do we want fiandio for? Hu is cheap at £3O a year at present, but if we have to keep him as an •ornament he would bo dear at half th ■ ‘money. A good man with a horse and iplant is worth not less than £3 per week, and this means an increase of antes of 25 par cent. Oh, my bleeding, •country, this is worse than the town hall. In conclusion, I m i.y say I am the ownor of a small section in the borough and also of a smaller one in the cemetery. lam here for life and danger. Mr Goltman is only a nominal ratepayer, and if evil days come upon •our borough, be c mid pack all he owns in a very small conveyance and '■vamoose. Ho would not be the first ■of his name to leave a town suddenly. I think that, in the few remaining week•of this Council’s existence, til l Council, as ac present constituted, should do nothing more than aom 1 itely necessiry, and in April nfix r let the whole ten retire from public life, and then, with a bang now ■C oanoil, there may yet be hope ot ■disinfecting our borough chambers. — T am, etc., Carbolic.