LOCAL AMENITIES.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXVI, Issue 1318, 25 July 1899, Page 3

LOCAL AMENITIES.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, — The intellectual discussion between the Mayor and Councillor Daniel Stewart, which commenced in the Council Chambers and is now being vigorously carried on in your colums and on the public platform, may doubtless interest some of your readers. But I cannot help thinking that when these gentlemen stoop to indulge in such pleasantries as calling one another "dead mules," and " live asses " ; accusing each other of breaches of confidence, and raking up the past with the sole object of venting their spite, they are pandering to a side of human nature which, if allowed to run to extremes, would lead to our patronising pugilistic encounters and dog fights ; and cannot avoid having a bad moral influence on the community. Besides, lam convinced that the ratepayers of Balelutha did not elect them to the offices they hold for that purpose, and would be much better pleased if they would leave the question of " prohibition " alone and give their attention to the business of the borough, where, between streets being out of order, the want of light, water, and drainage, financial difficulties, and the defiance of the bye-laws by some of the ratepayers, they would find ample employment for their superfluous energies instead of expending them on the vain attempt of solving a problem which will not be settled in our time. — I am, &c, James Wilson Wilson. Balelutha, July 24th, 1899. -♦