The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 1888. THE MUNICIPAL ENCOUNTER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2799, 16 January 1888, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 1888. THE MUNICIPAL ENCOUNTER.

Mr Eenall lias openly defied the authority of the Borough Council over which he presides, and if a house fighting against itself cannot stand, he is doomed to sustain a fall. The Borough Council is putting on its war paint to resist the attack made upon its privileges by Mr Eenall, and the municipal atmosphere is becoming slightly sulphurous. A. battle royal is imminent, and it is perhaps desirable that such ratepayers who view the combatants without prejudice should endeavor to determine the real cause of quarrel, and, if possible, reconcile the. belligerents. The ratepayers have to pay the piper, and if there is too much "piping hot" on the part of Mr Eenall and his antagonists the bill which the ratepayers will have ' to pay will not be a light one. , What after all is the difference between Mr Eenall awl the Council ? Mr Eenall wants to give Masterton a cheap water supply, and in this he is doing a right thing. The Council are very willing to have a cheap water supply, and they know pretty well that Mr Eenall is in a better position to provide it than any other man in the community. So far the Mayor and the Council are agreed that the project of Mr Eenall should be carried out. The difference that has arisen is pot as to the thing to be done, only as to the manner of doing it. Mr Eenall claims the right to do it in his own manner, and it is pretty evident that his manner is a little irregular. We believe that Mr Eenall is trying to do a right thing in a wrong manner, and that the Council is trying to make him do the said right thing in a right manner. Our judgment favors the stand taken by the' Council, but we are not without sympathy for the mistaken zeal of Mr Eenall. The Council has the power to stop Mr Eenall's project, and possibly will exercise it, and then Mr Eenall will ever afterwards declare that but for the opposition of the Council, the town would be endowed with a splendid water supply, The Council are logically right in asserting their perogative, though the outcome of their contention may be unsatisfactory. Mr Eenall has placed himself in a false position, and is at their mercy to a considerable extent; but we scarcely wish to see him posing as a martyr. Mr Eenall may have the spirit of a colt, but physically he is too old for a protracted contest with his Council. Whether he won or lost in such a conflict, he would suffer in the encounter, and a man of his years is extremely unwise to sacrifice his health in what after all is a foolish squabble. We fear there is but little hope of a reasonable understanding being arrived at between the Mayor and Council, although it would be comparatively easy to arrange the matter in dispute if botb sides would exercise a little forbearance. The difference between them is after all, but trifling. They are agreed about thetiring to be done, but they are at variance as to the manner of doing it, If they were to leave the question in dispute to the decision of an independent arbitratorpossessing the confidence of both sides, away might be found to end the Municipal deadlock which would be fairly satisfactory to all parties. Mr Eenall would be placed in a position to complete the watersupply, and the Council would probably have such guarantee for the work as would, in their opinion, protect the interests of the ratepayers. We do that Mr Eenall, in the first instance, intended to act right in the teeth oj Jijie twelve Municipal appsjleg.wJiQ cwsjitute his

Council; he is too sensible a man to voluntarily place himself in a false position of this kind. Ho may, however, subsequently, in a moment of irritation, have allowed his prejudice to get the better of his judgment. We would like to appeal from Mr lteuall m a stormy mood to Mr Eenall in a calm one, feeling certain that when the latter prevailed, the right tiling would be done in the right manner. We would gladly, for Mr .Email's own sake, see further conflict avoided." He is probably now serving the town in a high public position for the last time, for he has passed that period in life when men care for public office, or are fitted to cope with public responsibility, and it would be a pleasure to most people in this community to see this term of office, one which'every man in the community could regard with pleasure and satisfaction. In after years Mr Eenall will be remembered very much by this his closing year of public office, and it is vary undesirable that • the memory should recall endless squabbling and undignified recrimination. It rests with Mr Eenall very much to determine whether his year of office shall be a benefit or misfortune to the town. We regarded his election of Mayor as a mistake, but we would cheerfully confess our error if after all it turned out that our unfavorable anticipations were not realized.