THE COUNCIL'S ILLEGAL VOTE.

Evening Post, Volume XXI, Issue 58, 11 March 1881, Page 3

THE COUNCIL'S ILLEGAL VOTE.

TO TH« EDITOR OP THR KVENINO POST. Sir— The public must feel indebted to you for exposing the manner onr Public Works Committee deal with the city rates, and the question arising, to my mind, is what are the dnties of Inspector Johnßton ? Is he to carry oat the laws made by onr wiseheads, the Councillors, or is he simply to wink at them ? If so, then I say do away with the office ; but, if he is to carry out his duties, which are of no ordinary kind, 1 think the Councillors are doing what is very wrong in showing this sympathy with a person who haa clearly broken the law which they made, and which they instructed Mr. Johnston to see carried out. A person is sued for breach of city by-law, and is fined 20s and 14s costs, showing the Resident Magistrate considered the law had been broken, so that clears the inspector of acting in an over-zealous manner in taking the case up, he merely doing his duty to his employers. Our Councillors, however, are not content with paying the aotnal coats, but by way of premium for breaking- the law seek to add 6s over and above the fine with all costa added— very generous of them, indeed, with other people's money. As you remark, no objection could or would be made to those gentlemen subscribing among themselves to defray Carter's costß and showing their sympathy by so doing, but to me it looks as if they were ashamed of the law theyhavemade. Theremay be another reason for this spontaneous sympathy. We expect a general election soon ; this little game may be a popularity-hunting dodge to secure the cabmen's vote, or is it a stab in the dark at Mr. Johnson? Mr. Johnson has gone for me on one occasion, but I beat him ; but I will say for all that, a more impartial inspector we could not possibly get to carry out the trying duties of his office. Whatever be the cause, let the ratepayers protest against this illegal voting of the rates to suit the purpose of any gentleman in the Council. I am &c, Nemo.