SECOND EDITION Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] WEDNESDAY, NOV. 21, 1894. MR POWNALL'S MEETING.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4882, 21 November 1894, Page 2

SECOND EDITION Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] WEDNESDAY, NOV. 21, 1894. MR POWNALL'S MEETING.

Tub tono of the Municipal election last evening was excellent. The courtesy Mr Pownall displayed towards his opponent, the present Mayor, and the kindly maimer in which it was accepted opens up ut new and improved mothod of conducting local elections. Mr Pownall evidently respects the integrity and the high character of Mr Heron, and Mr Heron admits the ability and capacity of Mr Pownall. This is as it should be! The two main questions discussed by Mr Pownall in his address were water and gas, and he has evidently somewhat modified the view which ho formerly expressed on the subject of water and drainage. While still considering them desirable he advises the postponement of any specific undertaking, first, because the present state of the .Go's Works is a,stumbling bloclyinthe way, and secondly, because ;public opinion nt tho poll formerly taken was adverse to a loan. We cannot quite go with Mr Pownall, onihis point, , The loan which he''asked for when Mayor was unnecessarily large, and it .was tho magnitude of it which courted dofeat, At tho samo time we admit''that the gas trouble is a /difficulty in the way of any immediate .action. Still the Gas Works werbin'rtinch the samo condition at the time tho water and drainage loan was brought forward by Mr Pownall, as they are now. The only difference is that the ratepayers are more alarmed about them now than they wore then, Wo rather approve thpreforoof Mi'Pownall's proposal to put gas matters straight before askingthe ratepayers to support a water and drainage loan, His recommendation to soil tho Gas Works to a private company is one upon which wo scarcely cave .to express a hasty opinion,' If.the.Comicil be competent to manage the Gas Works it would bo better to .retain them, because well managed Gas Works area profitable 'undertaking', but if the Council be incompetent to manago them, then the sooner./they are sold the better. That there has been incompetency' in 'tub''past must bo admitted,,, but .that there must be iiicompetouoyUn the future, now that the ■ Council • has acquired a certain amount of experieuce, is an opon question. Mr Pownall while' stating that there has been,." great fault" blames nobody, but this viowappears to 'us'to bo /inconsistent. When ;fault, ; has been committed or loss incurred; we think it is a wholesome course to sheet the blaino If, nobody is to bo blamed Mr Heron fcaf'sßCurod a verdiol.okcquittal.'.nt 'the 'haudj) of his opponent, ! »We do not, special censure to Mr'HeVqh'iri'this matter. Ho left,the management,sif/toa Gas proveiktq W

! aonieyliat unequal to its l'csponsijbilities,* but when bis attention was directly called to the unsatisfactory condition in which the works were he,., certainly.'put his foot down arid insisted upon a very necessary' change, Reverting to Mr Pownall's proposal to sell the Gas Works, we may say that if the surrender of them and tho'extinguishing of thb Gas Loan would pave the way for a high pressurewatersupplyanddrainRge we would h eartily support bis pi-q-; jeot, Wo regard water and drainago as of mora, importance to the town than gas, and always held tho view that the latter ought to havo been introduced by .a. private Company. We trust tlie'ratepaycrs will carefully- consider- this\ direct and praqticalsuggestlon which Mr Powmill.has hia'deito'iiiorai' Thoy have yet||'of'coilrse, ; two other'candid&tesfandgivbduo attention to any., recommendation which may coino from them.V- Mr Pownall has certainly given thorn somethiug to tliink nbout, ho has submitted a definite project which may solvo many, difficulties.. Whether 'Mr 1 Pownall be elected or rejected, tho burgesses havo to thank him for thinking out the municipal problem and indicating clearly a plan for helping the old municipal coach out of tho rut in which it seems to bo stuck. Wo do not, however, quite approve of the extent to which ho has gone round on the water, question. But yesterday he was the champion of a "high" pressure supply. To-day he appears willing for either "high" or "low," provided that he be also " Jack and game." '