MUNICIPAL NEGLIGENCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume C, Issue 11665, 23 August 1898, Page 4

MUNICIPAL NEGLIGENCE.

At the meeting of the Sydenham Borough Council last evening one of the members,; when referring to the recent fatal bicycle accident, complained that a correspondent of this journal had singled out the Council for criticism in allowing its contractors’ carts, to stand about the streets at night Without lights, while a precisely similar practice was’ followed by the other municipal authorities.] We confess that we cannot see much ground 1 for his complaint. The fact that the city, permitted its contractors to imperil the lives and limbs of travellers by leaving cumbersome vehicles standing in the unlighted thoroughfares whs no excuse for the suburban boroughs doing the same tiling. The Sydenham Council Was selected for criticism because its negligence had just resulted in. the death of an unwary cyclist and because our correspondent was unaware that other municipal bodies Were equally culpable. We arc sure that the gent’einan who objected to the pointed allusion to the “ model borough” will be as glad as We are to leam that the city; authorities have taken steps to remove the danger to Which our correspondent‘ directed attention. In future, all the contractora’ carts are to be properly lighted, and it is to be hoped that we sliall hear of no more accidents arising froffi the carelessness of their drivers. The fatality at Sydenham is, by' the way, another illustration, and a very deplorable one, of the fallacy of the contention’ that only ratepayers are interested in the management of municipal affairs. No one,’ We take it, Will maintain that the life of the unfortunate victim had not a better. claiisl for protection than the largest property in the borough. It is conceivable, of course,that a Council elected on the most extended franchise Would have neglected to take proper precautions for the safety of travellers, but the probability is that it would have been tailed to account long before this for such 1 an obviOUs dereliction of duty. We trust that the electors in'Sydenham and in every other part of the colony will take the painful lesson to heart.