TOWN INTO WARDS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue XV, 19 November 1880, Page 2

TOWN INTO WARDS.

To'THB Editor of the";" Evening Mail,'-' Sir— lt is of more consequence; at the present time that the town should be divided into, ward? than who should be Maypiyas.thje. following will show:—^Some time" agb'twd hundred ratepayers petitioned the Council to repair and open the Collingwood bridge, which theyriefusedtoldoipr wanXof means. The njeans for theJistflv-'e.yearß independent of tbb raies amounted to thoifolljoiwingiteni" yearly, :— Subsidy, £1600; poblicans', auotionVers', and bottle licenses, jGIOOQ; dog tickets, £300; cab and other licenses, £200; total r £JIOO a year, or £15,000 for the last five years in addition to .the rates, (these sums are from membry^and' liable to error) granted after the abolition: ofc the provinces to do the work originally done by them, the principal item being the bridges, r. and. air thpugh they have received,,tbe,enprraqussum of '£ 15 ,000 for, their, up-keep, there • are by, their own showing three bridges s oUJ| of five virtually, UDsafe, one barricaded '"".for ; nearly; one. year and likely to be for three [years longer, janie'ss the Eadicals ' take it lip and. insist ,pn something 'being, done with ; the money besides experiraenting^with these yait sums on wood and stone "walls at thePprt. I say experimenting advisedly,' as the ratepayers would be "surprised if they knew the cost ,of : the j wooden .structure,} which will, perish in a few year's, Jand now a fresh: experiment is made with stone. The original contract ..was ion a coarse- wall" coped, tyithi Adele Island j dressed stone, whereas -the present one; is lC :any kind of wall coped-with round boulder Btones, which makes it^botU

unsafe and unsightly, Besides it is Unfair : to. the btlier contractors, -abd . affords; fresh proof that it ia Hot safe; to "tender for Corporation! contracts, which |kl but: seldonY carried out according "tb the specifications. Again, according to a resolution of the Council ft) 6 yards of stone Wftfl passed^ and ten* derefl for, and on the strength of that they havegot about 70G yards more (more or less) at 8s per yard, equal to £240, on the sly and illegally, and for which they are liable. I heard a remark made some time ago about the Southtrn members getting the lion's ■hare of the borrowed money,' and termed the robbers of the South. With how much more truth may our fort Councillors be termed the robbers of the Port, as they let the Corporation at defiance by spending the money and altering contracts without •yen the farce of getting the sanction of the Council, which is a farce as the following will show : one of the ; Councillors being chaffed about tho work at the Fort said he agreed to it being done, as they told him only £500 was to be expended at the time, T a«,they had the means. '■ What a dupe i- How Astonished he must be to told that the expendituie has r already exceeded -twice that amount "and still going . on. As Councillor Harley it., seeking ; higher municipal honors, and is going to address the ratepayers on Monday night, he would do well to make himself acquainted . with full particulars on whoso authority (the.contract for the wall was altered, and who is liable for, the extra stone; It ispf the more importance "at the present' time, as they are talking about building a bridge at some f Bture day, and if they make such a bungle of a common sea wall; what, guarantee have we that they will not make, a mess of that also ? lama lover of fair, play, 1.; - — .; I am, &c, I . .j Robert "Grjlt. I p.s. — If any , one asks for a few loads of gravel, or any small work done in their neighborhood, tbey,pass the bank book round and the cry is economy with any work • but what pertains to the Port, for instance i that boaitly footpath by the there are many than that, but the cry is, No funds, r •.; > t ,;. To f in?e Editor 6v the" Evening Mail." SiB~"It is not all lost that is in danger." On the announcement of Mr Dodson'a retirement from the Mayoralty, made public 'some time since, unpleasant prospects were visible ahead, and it was feared that some person of little experience and/ less gravity would be entrusted to pilot our ship into port; 1 but now aeeiDg the old pilot ready again to board the 'Vessel, there is no doubt but be will bring her safely to anchor, notwithstanding the turbulent breakers that at present surround her. ; However qualified may 7be young aspirants to the important office of pilot they need experience, forethought, and patience to navigate a vessel amidst the sunken rocks, breakers, and other dangers near a shore far more than to sail a ship ia smooth waters. The thanks of the community are due to Mr Dodson for coming to our assistance in the last hour of need, and thus saving us from the command of Dick, Tom, or Harry; for bad that been the case we might have had to encounter further troubles by the desertion of the whole ship's crew rather than they [Would submit to an incompetent leader. j lam, &c, - I : ■ ■ : •-:•. Sunlight^