THE MAYORAL ELECTION.

Press, Volume XLVIL, Issue 7719, 26 November 1890, Page 6

THE MAYORAL ELECTION.

TO IHB mOITOR O» THB PRBSS. Sib,—The election o£ Major of Christ* church for the ensuing twelve months occurs to-morrow (Wednesday). I anxiously trust that the ratepayers of Chrlstxsburcli will not only upon cms occasion, bat upon eTery future election, break the mistaken recent rale of recording their votes in favor of any Mayor, however useful during his year of office, holding the same office throughout the long period of a second year. Probably no reasonably intelligent and fairly educated man becomes a member of the Christchurch City Council from any other motive than the hope that after three, four, or five years of faithful services rendered in the interests of the citizens of this grand city, throughout the long period of 52 evenings in each year of the long and uncertain period I have named, without the hope that for such services he will one day be rewarded for his long, patient, and faithful services by having conferred upon him the very proudest honor a citizen can enjoy, namely, the Mayoralty of Christchurch. If, however, Mayors are to be re-elected fora second year"—with very limited pretensions to merit—how many years under the present regime will one of the Council serve before he can attain to the proud position of Mayor of one of the grandest cities of New Zealand. With your consent I will venture to supply the answer, that with a Council of fifteen members, as I understand the present Council to be constituted, each Mayor elected and re-elected for two years, it would necessarily be thirty years before the latest member of the Council could enjoy the much coveted distinction of Mayor of this noble city. We as a province aim at being just in all of our parliamentary arrangements. Let us honorably endeavor to be equally just in all of our municipal elections, and try to distribute our honors in such a manner as to elect a new Mayor annually, bo that every Councillor who has honorably and faithfully served the ratepayers for a limited period of years shall, with all honor in a humbler position, be permitted to attain to the proud distinction that he attained bis houorable position alike by faithful devotion for a reasonable period to the best interests of the municipality and by a very sincere desire to do honor to the proud position in which his fellowcicizens had placed him.—Yours, &c, A Very Early Mayor of Chkistchuroh.