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Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 11560, 13 June 1900, Page 4

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■ho editor does not bold blmsolf responsible (nr S i opinions expressed by oorrespondents. j OUE TOWN AND ITS PEUDBNT n COUNCILLORS. j Sir,— l don't know whether it is through g liegusfc or indifference that no notice has B jeen taken in your correspondence t jolumns of the late proceedings of the E Borough Council, as reported in your _ Fhursday's issue. It may be that the re- * jidents of Napier have come to recognise 0 the uselessness of Buch. a course, but to , me it appears the matters at issue are too important to be allowed to pass by with- , out ft protest. ] No one is more ready to make allowanres j for deficiencies and general incapacity , than I am, so long as a reasonable exauae j is forthcoming, but when at a critical . period in the progress of our town thnre ' is no sensible reason given for the aotion that has been taken by onr Town Council in the baths question, and several other questions of equal importance, it behoves B very citizen and well wisher to inquire as to the causes that have tended to bring about such a state of affairs as at present exists. Many years ago I remember listening to a lecture in Birmingham by the celebrated George Dawson, who described the capacity of some men as being made up mainly of prudence— the prudence being shown by their general silence. "But," remarked the lecturer, " the time is Bure to come when they will let out their sawdust," and surely some of the members of our Town Counoil have let out their sawdust, in quantity, of late. Can anyone point to a single valid objection urged by those among Councillors who have aoted in such a reactionary manner as to cause our _ town to become a laughing Btook in the country ? Take, for instance, the shallow unoalled-for .statements made by Councillor Cohen! Sawdust indeed! Why, the remarks would have been unworthy of a school boy, for they lack even the quality of manliness and they breathe the spirit of ohildishneßS in every line. Will Councillor Cohen and those who run with him give us a reason why the baths ought not to be ereoted? Will they give v* a reason why there should not be public reading-rooms and a publio library for the people of this town ? The questions are simple and demand a straightforward answer. There, within the past three months, have been two offers, as follows : — (a) An offer to ereot publio baths at an estimated cost not exceeding .£SOOO, subject to a contingent liability on the part of the town of about 42000; (b) An offer from the Athenamm authorities of a property worth more than 45000, Bubjeot to a contingent liability of 41400. In other wordß, the town would have come into possession of 410,000 on an expenditure of 43400, and yet what have our oonncillorß done ? Would the people of Napier themselves have refused 410,000 on condition that they rendered themselves liable to an expenditure of 43400? Would a private individual refuse suoh an offer ? If not, then why in the name of commonsense are councillors bo obtuse as to h:ive refused ? Councillor Cohen Bays, "Mr Coleman wants Mb name to go down to posterity at the expense of the Counoil." Imagine the kind of sawdust thiß ! Posterity indeed! Does that councillor imagine he himself will go down to posterity by aoting in a way that is keeping, and must keep, our town from advano.ng morally, intellectually, and socially? Rumor has it that the proposed site for the bathß was too near the Masonic Hotel to satisfy some of the councillors, and so, I suppose, the Athenteum buildings are also too near ! When will the people of Napier move together and strike for right and home ? What have hotels to do w ith the supply of our social, our moral, and our intellectual progress? And are we as a people to remain grovelling in the old ruts simply because hotel interests will be affected? We need initiative in the Council. The keeping of the streets clean and tidy is good, but the keeping of a high moral tone in the town is also good and needful, and due provision should be made by the authorities to bring this about. As a town fifth in population and importance, we are badly beaten by a dozen places in the colony in the facilities provided for the common good. But the remedy is in the hands of the citizens themselves. If they are satisfied, there ia an end to the matter. But a little baok-straightening will be of service just now, and aa a ratepayer my strongest protest is here entered against those members of our Town Counoil who have lately shown suoh signal inoapaoity when called upon to deal with the public interests of the borough. — I am, &c, H. Hill. June 12th, 1900.