The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1887 MR RENALLAT KURUPUNI.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2760, 28 November 1887, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1887 MR RENALLAT KURUPUNI.

On Saturday niglifc Mr Eenall addressed a handful of burgesses in the Kurupuni Hall, and to-night he speaks—let us hope—to a larger audience in the Theatre Royal. We may, we presume, attribute the fact that this candidate for Mayoral honors holds two public meetings in the Borongh to his fondness for platform oratory, and express our regret that his efforts to rouse the Kuripunites have not met with the success that they deserved, Mr Eenall as was expected, at his late meeting, vigorously criticised the actions of the Mayor and Councillors-now in office. It is perhaps comparatively easy to pick faults in the past administration of the Borough, but in common honesty it is only right to point at the same time to certain faots that must be put to its credit. Our public men in the Masterton Borough Council have, during the past two years faced larger responsibilities and achieved greater results than any which ever devolved upon their predecessors, Their administration has been marked by a very large amount of protracted and conscientious work inseparable from the progressive works which they have undertaken, It is perhaps unfortunate that when they were engaged in a work which would under any circumstances have strained the resources of this borough a period of depression should have arisen which was little anticipated by the promoters of our civic improvements, Still we are quite prepared to admit that mistakes have been made and that in organising a new department of which none of the Councillors had any practical knowledge there were errors in judgement which are to be regretted. We have 110 reason to complain of Mr Eenall's strictures 011 this particular subject, though apparently he avoided what ought to be the mainspring of his address, We can understand this because the party who are supporting him assisted to keep in office a certain Engineer who, in our opinion, was immediately responsible for the money which was wasted. We are sure however, that the Council as a body has acquired some valuable experience from tlio mistakes which have been made and we are certain that the twelve Councillors who now control the affairs of the town are better fitted by experience, by ability, by industry, and by honesty of purpose, than any other dozen men in the community for the work which requires to be done, What we would like to obtain from Mr Eenall, since he has decided to advise the rate, payers on the affairs of the Borough, is not so much a review of the past as a programme for the future, The past such as it is, cannot.be men* ded. Everyman in Masterton knows tlwt wo havf. in the Council public

servants whose connection -with the town has been honorable to themselves, and beneficial to the ratepayers and if Mr Renall were to abuse them for a month, they would poll just as well for any office for which they might be candidates We hope tonight Mr Eenall will not waste too much time in a retrospective review, but at once give us his programme for the coming year in the event of his return as Mayor. We would like an estimate from him of the receipts and expenditure, indicating where the former can be increased or {lie latter diminished. The burning Municipal question now is finance. The Council has faced it to a certain extent, but it is doubtful whether it has gone quite. far enough in the work of retrenchment. Mr Eenall, if he is to be at the head of affairs next year, should be prepared with a financial exposition. We gather from his Kuripuni address that he is fighting the Council, but this information though suggestive of complications is hardly a programme. We wonder whether Mr Eenall really thinks tliat the coming Mayor should be in dead opposition to the Council over which he will lwve to preside. Does he seriously advise the burgesses to bring about a deadlock by putting in a man who will be at loggerheads with every other representative at the horse-shoe table ? If the burgesses were able to return a new Council of Renallite Apostles with a Benallite Mayor, there would be some chance of the'veteran candidate in the present election being able to accomplish some good work for the town, but as they cannot do this it would be a piece of folly for the burgesses to introduce into the council an element of hopeless discord. Possibly Mr Eenall is more anxious to have his fling at his enemies from the platform than to undertake the arduous duties of the Mayoralty. He has doubtless allowed the President of our embryo liberal association to put him up for a party fight and in so far as his candidature serves to create a public interest in the administration of the affairs of the. Borough it will be advantageous. The burgesses, however, before they can seriously consider the expediency of securing his services, will naturally desire to know what will be the practical outcome of his opposition to the Council, and whether lie will, if elected, be able to lead the twelve members who now constitute the Council. We will notfollow MrEeiiall'sexample by mixing up the affairs of the Town Lands Trust with those of the Borough Council, (on Saturday night lie put the Town Lands Trust in the foreground), but in another column we give the text of a petition promoted by him against the Bill now before Parliament. As we are assured, on creditable authority that it is neither the intention of Mr 6. Beetham, M.H.8., nor of the Trustees, to pass this Bill through all its stages during the present session, the petition, at the present time, is unnecessary.