The Foolish Fountain.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 5 March 1894, Page 3

The Foolish Fountain.

The Mayor and the Town Lands Tiust (To the Editor W, D. Times.) Sir,—At the laßt meeting of the ! Town Lands Truet, &lt- Gapper and Mr Lowes made some very etroDg . remarks about the Borough Council ' and its officers, to whioh I beg leave to make reply, A stranger would think, to read their high-flown remarks, that some fine work of act had been pulled down, instead of that hideous structure, mis-named a fountain, Now, in reply to Mr Qapper, I must go back us far as November last, Mr Pownall, the then Mayor, brought before the Council's notio9 the dilapidated appearance ol the Woodroffo Fountain, and proposed that a sum ?f £3 be voted by the Counoil provided the same amount was voted by the Town Lands Trust to repair the structure. This was agreed to by both bodies and a committee'appointed; Messrs Lowes and Feist from the Trust and Messrs Pownall and H'-ron from the Cuunoil. Mr Lowes was very busy at the time and could not attend the meeting, but the rest of the Committee mot and decided what to reoommend. The Borough Council agreed to the recommendation of the Committee, but when it came beforetbo Trust, meddling Mr Gapper, got tho Trust meeting to reject the proposal I MrGapper—who poses as an expert at almost everything-pre-pared a plan of his own, and got the , Trust to adopt it. But the Counoil was not satisfied andrejeoted it, Thus | by the aotion of Mr Gapper the rt-pairs to the so-called "fountain 11 were stopped, In the meantime the , struoturo hod fallen into a state of ! ruin, and the Sergeant of police oalled \ the Town Clerks' attention to it aB being dangerous to boys who occasionally olimb on to it. The Town J Clerk and myself considered it" 3oI cidedly dangerous," so I ordered the I overseer to takoit down. Ab to Mr > Lowes' tall talk about " an aot of vandalism," I would point out that after my attention had been called l? | ita dungoi ous condition, the responsi- . bility rested with me, and not with ' Messrs Lowrs and Gapper, I suspeot thatby thistimo MrLowes is ashamed I of bis action in jeadiqg the Trunf to [ foolishly vole £25 to'the said fountain t and entrusting tho spending of the , money to a pnrate.individual, not re- , Bponsibje to any one for his action, t Now ] would aßk Messrs Lowes anil , Gapper to. at once put this, their " Neglected Child'' in good order, or I will ask the Borough Council to clear the rubbish away, George Hebon, Mayor, Maroh fitb, 18DJ.