THE MAYORAL ELECTION. —MR A. H. ROSS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5798, 18 September 1880, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE MAYORAL ELECTION. —MR A. H. ROSS.

TO-THE EDITOR.

Sin, —As the minds of the citizens at the present time are in a state of agitation as to who will fill tho civic chair for the ensuing 12 months, I should like to say a few words on the subject. So far, I have only heard of two candidates —namely, Messrs Fish and Ross. The former gentleman is well known in our midst, having been before the public for a good many years, and has proved, to say the least, a hardworking man; therefore I shall leave him to merit his reward from his constituency. With regard to Mr A. H. Ross, the other aspirant to Mayoral honour?, it is rather different. Although he is a colonist of long standing, he is almost new to public life in Dunedin, therefore many of my fellow citizens may not know the sterling qualities he possesses. Havingknown Mr Ross for over 30 jeara, I should like to place my knowledge before the Dunedin public, bo that they may know something of his earlier career, when he took a very prominent part in municipal and political matters in the Old Country. If I remember rightly, he represented St. Michael's Ward in the Town Council ofj Sunderland, County Durham, for over 10 years, and was always amongst the foremost in any cause that was for the benefit of the town as a whole, and this was at a time when all social reforms had to be won with hard fights—not only with words, but with the pca —and .in both these respects he was a worthy fee for the best of steiL He so won on the regard of bis constituents by bis straightforward, independent, and zsalous advocacy of the .public interests, that on sending in his resignation of his position as their representative, his constituency fljtly refused to accept if, nominated him against his will, and gained his election by a large majority— and this although he never attended nor addressed a meeting. He represented hla coug'.ituency fo» another term, and then finally retired, U> the gwat regret of the whole community. Iv ia thus the late Alderman C»nd-

Usb, M.P. for Sunderland, wrote of him at tbat t'ma :—" Mr Ross retires with the unanimous regret and esteem of the Council, which is bo more than is due to one who has faithfully discharged his public duties. Though often differing from his colleagues, there was a sturdy honesty about Mr Roes which won for him general respect. With a few crotchets he. had a clear head, and no brow-beating could prevent him from expressing his conviction", however unpalatable they might be to the majority. He was one of those who would never give a vote in favour of a measure unless he was satisfied in his own mind that it was for the benefit of the town and the community. He did not give hn faith to any of the ' great guns' of the Council, and content himself with recording his vote on questions merely because they were popular, or supported apparently by great authority. We have all heard of the famous peer who boasted he would rather be wrong with William Pitt than right with anybody else. Mr Ross was not of this stamp. If he did not clearly sco the merils of a proposal, he preferred to be wrong with himself thau right with others. He formed his own opinions and acted upon them. Tbeio ara the men the town want. I dotest thwse who are blown about by every fit of sentiment or feeling, and who must invariably sink

down iia the inglorious joints in the tail of more ambitious and perhaps desigainjf chiefs. Whether a man is right or wrong, if he has earnestness and independence the world will esteem bim. Mr Ross was not always right— no man ie—but he was mostly so; and, whether right or wrong, he had a oingl».uiin.d«dneße l

indefatigable industry, and talent. May his successor emulate his virtue." Trusting you will find room for these few lines—l am, &c.

W. P. Woodifield Octagon, Saptembar 17ch.