“THE WARNING NOTE.”

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 108, 21 April 1911, Page 4

“THE WARNING NOTE.”

Proof that his Worship the Mayor of Napier has always a keen eye on the main chance was displayed by his reference to the Borough finances on Wednesday evening. His belated warning comes tinged with peculiar significance at this juncture, and there is a big feeling abroad that he would have touched less freely’ upon the financial position of the Council had he been called upon to contest the Mayoralty’. But secure in office for another tw-elve months, he could safely’ send the councillors to election weighted with the Mayoral admonition for extravagance. . No one can disagree with His Worship’s professed wish to keep a careful eye upon the finances,, but it is a little bit too late for him to shed crocodile tears over the condition of the treasury coffers. He has been delivered of his “warning note” at the wrong end of the chapter. As chairman of the Finance Committee, it was his duty to have kept close watch upon the finances from the beginning of the year, and not awaken on the eve of an election to the realisation of extravagance. Was all this extra expense incurred during the time Mr. Brown was in Wellington attending to his Parliamentary duties, or did the councillors play ducks and drakes with the Borough revenue under his nose? Either way it is a bit too late in the day’ for Mr. Brown to stand in the limelight of clear-headed economy and cast the shadow of unnecessary extravagance upon the councillors. A great deal of work was done last year which will not be a recurring charge, and with careful attention there is no particular need for alarm.