A HARD CASE.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 198, 20 September 1888, Page 2

A HARD CASE.

The attention of the Borough Council was on Tuesday occupied for a brief moment by a case which fortunately it would not ba easy to find precedents for. Mrs Clarke, who was lately burnt out of house and home, applied for a remission of the rates due on her property, pleading as a reason for the extenuation the distressing circumstances in which she had been placed, Naturally Councillors were at once aroused to a sense of the position, and curiosity was felt first as to whether ■the Act allowed any remission, and secondly as 0 whether the case was deserving of consideration, On the first point doubt was soon set at rest, by a section of the Act being quoted to show that in extreme cases the Council was entitled to remit the rates. On the point being mooted that consideration of this ease might lead to pumaroijs other applications based on somewhat similar grounds, the Mayor wisely remarked that then the Councillors must be the proper judges. On Cr Coleman’s motion, the best course was adopted, that of having further enquiry made. Still, from our own knowledge of the circumstances we are convinced that Mrs Clarke is entitled to every sympathy that can be accorded her, After passing through * series of misfortunes ttaej late lire

has heaped upon her a greater burden than many have to bear. From a life of prosperity and abundance, she has, after many vicissitudes, had her lot made so hard that she can with justice make the application referred to. The granting of such an application is open to objection only on the ground of what it may subsequently lead to; but when the Act has been so framed as to specially meet such a case, surely the representatives elected by the ratepayers can guard against there being any abuse. In our report of the fire it was remarked that the £4OO insurance on the building destroyed by the fire would be of little use to Mrs Clarke. As the ambiguity of that remark has not clearly explained the position, it may be as well now to state that owing to the heavy encumbrances on the house the greater portion of the insurance money will be swallowed up in meeting the claims.