The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 1887. THE BOROUGH MUDDLE

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2495, 8 January 1887, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 1887. THE BOROUGH MUDDLE

The existmg muddle in the Borough )f Masterton might' almost.be regarded is a comedy of errors were it not that he progress of the town may bearres- ' ed and' serious''interests compromised ly it, While we quite approved of Mr lenall forcing an issue as regarded >he division of the. Borough,, we did lot .consider Jihitji U in 'mposihg 1 his fancy quartgrings oh' the ratepayers. : The Act gives a mmQrity lower to divide the Borough; ap^Mr a perfect rjght'ito .ekercise I 'his perogatjye, but, is w,e : readit, the j Acl dqesnpt give a-wiwrity p,pwer to

define into which a Borough shall be divided, and on this point he 'ought -{not-to: have insisted without some? reasonable assurance thatjthe subdivision which he 'favored•<; wits. acceptable to the majority''of seses.,j;dn;the 6th,er handle presenf .BpMgh;Cotocil were to'blame l in noV ;gran|-,effect to a resolution passed, by. ,a,prop;erly ooriqtituted public meeting 'to taCo i» poll on the question. 'The ,G6l?«niment in ; their; turn, as> appears, from the text.of the petition published ..yesterday in pur columns, hayo pro■claimed'a division -without taking the ;prelirninary steps necessary"-for the' issue of such a. proclamation. We feel that the whole position is unsatisfactory' frotiithe'ratepayera' point of view.' They have Mr Kenall's reading of the law. : ,tci the'effectthat'the Council is/defuhoV and.;• they i.have the counoillors interpretation. of it in a precisely, opposite .direction, .'ippar, ently no responsible opinion' has been taken on either side, and, the result of this amateur law. work maynieana ' harvest for the legal, fraternity,at;the,! 'hjO#pfcihe;hW'aJrt a'iig bill o'fcbsts' against the ratepayers. When the very existence of the-Counoil iscalled: . in question, no step, in, our opinion, ' ought to have been take'ff.e?c'ept underlegal advice'. We believe'that the Borough ■ Councillors., ify the.,.. action, which they h'dve now:' Welfare en-' deavoring to protect the interests of ■ the'ratepayers, and that their 'case is* good'one; but we should feel greater confidence jn.-ihe-, success 'of-.their efforts' if they were toting Under.' the direction'of a responsible legal adviser.' Mr Eenall so for has, ■to use; his, 'own words, been a match for the .whole Council, and we do not grudge him the points which he has scored if'the result of them ■is merely to rouse the Council and the ratepayers to take a livelier interest •in the question of dividing the Borough and a mischi'ev- . ous and foolish' borough quartering is averted. , .The only' fear: we';liave is' that the belligerents may make'mistakes as amateur, lawyers, which will lead to further'difficulties arid complications, and we consider it would be well if' both parties, before proceeding withthegame,"took advice."'■'< ■■'■ <■ '