THE BOROUGH ELECTIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 23 April 1901, Page 3

THE BOROUGH ELECTIONS

(To the Editor). Sik, —Is not tho conciu3ing portion of your leading article in last n'ght's Star somewhat misleading. It reads : —" The electors have also a right to know the truth, the whole truth regarding the position. And the truth is as follows ;—Tho Council passed a resolution—passed it unanimously—to allow the ratepayers to select tho site, and tho ratepayers will be allowed to do so. It matters not if the nine successful Councillors favored Boundary Street, ihe opinion of the Burgosses would have to be taken all the same and vice vers*.'' Is this so i inasmuch are the members of tho new body, for to all intents and purposes the new Council will be so, bound over by the action of its predecessors, especially in the face of the legal interpretation of the Act, by the Borough Solicitor, Mr Hannan, to the effect that tho matter of the Town Hall and its site rests not with the ratepayers but with the Council'? Such being the case, is it not an open fact that certain of the candidates are prepared ill the event of being elected to ignore the recommendation of the late Council, for it is nothing more than a recommendation to take action without referring the question to a poll, also is it not a moot point that some of the laie Councillors who tacitly agreed to the recommendation, are prepared on t!it principle that the end justifies the means to forget their action in the late Council and to proceed at once, without referring tho matter to the ratepayers, to consider the question of the Town Hall and its site. To be sure it is rather a Macchiavellian proceeding, but then it is argued that as the ratepayers elected them they must certainly approve of their proceedings. The question is a momontuous one and the ratepayers ought to take all possible precautions as they may be wise too late—l am etc.,

Ratepayer. [All the Councillors have absolutely pledged themselves to allow the ratepayers to select the site. A resolution now standing in the books of tho Council would have to be rescinded before such an untold-of proceeding could happen. We cannot for a moment imagine that a majority of any Couucl would ignore the ratepayers in such a rascally manner as suggested. Wo have no hesitation in again declaring that the ratepayers will by their votes select the site.—Ed., E.S.J