The Star. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1882. THE BOROUGH LOAN.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume III, Issue 214, 24 February 1882, Page 2

The Star. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1882. THE BOROUGH LOAN.

It would be idle to ignore the circumstance that the article published iv our last issue has come iv for a great deal of adverse comment. To criticism, however caustic, we offer no objection. The utterances of a newspaper are worthless if they do not afford food for criticism, and newspapers, like piiblic men, should be prepared to take a drubbing in good part. But all criticism should be confined within tho boundaries of truth, and we are afraid that some of our local public men knowingly stepped beyond those bounds when they asserted that we are opposed to progress because we do not bee things exactly eye to eye with them. We are not opposed to a loan. Every article published on municipal matters during the past two months has admitted the advisableness of a loan, and surely it is not to be regarded as an evidence of opposition to progress, because tho spring is suggested as a better time for raising a loan than the winttr, or because it is affirmed that the ratepayers have a right to Gome knowledge of what works the Corporation propose to undertake. We Bhall not retract one v/ord of tho article

published on Wednesday, miles', it ":\u be sh^wu that lh- estimates uuil inior'iintion upou which it was written — which estimates aud ni formation were obtained from the report of the Council's prcrtemugr on Friday — were incorrect. If it is not true that, there will be a revenue ot £ 1,400 a year, it more than .£4OO is to be absorbed in office expenses, ii there will noi be £1,000 available for works " immediately necessary," or if reliable estimates of expenditure are available, that alters the aspect of the case ; but the converse would be gleaned by a perusal of the reports of the council's proceedings, aud beyond those reports we, like th ratepayers, have no information. We are anxious to support the council in every case where we can honestly do so, but a newspaper has its responsibilities to the public, and we are not string to shirk those responsibilities. Our remarks have at anyrate had one good effect : they have called public attention to an important mutter, and we hope, a*"l believe, that at this evening's meeting lull, complete, aud definite information will be afforded as to the financial position of the council, and as to the expenditure proposed to be immediately gone on with.