MR. FIRTH AND THE STONEBREAKERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9149, 3 September 1888, Page 6

MR. FIRTH AND THE STONEBREAKERS.

TO the EDITOR. Sir, The kindness which prompts Mr. Firth to champion the cause of these unfortunate men will commend itself to his fellow citizens. Bub we must nob allow a generous sympathy to make us forget what is fair to others. I fear Mr. Firth is rather hard upon Mr. Evans ; that he has allowed his eagerness of advocacy to destroy for a moment his calm judgment. Mr. Evans has been placed whero he is by his fellow ratepayers, in order that he may serve them by a wise and economical administration of the rates. The condition of many who pay them is little better, if any, than that of the stonebreakers. Those who elected Mr. Evans, demand from him that he shall not wastefully expend their funds. They expect that he shall receive full value for what he pays, and if the broken stone can be got cheaper than under a system of the employment of decrepit workmen, it is Mr. Evans' duty to so obtain it. If for instance the stone can be gob by means of a steam machine cheaper than by baud labour, then Mr. Evans, as the agent of the ratepayers, has no option but to take the machine-made metal. Should those who now break stones then have no means of living, tho Charitable Aid Board is instituted for the purpose of relieving them. The Municipal Corporations Act expressly forbids the councillors to give away funds for charitable relief; to do so by paying a higher price for any article than it can be obtained for in the open market is a dishonest and weak subterfuge. As private persons we may do what is not lawful for public bodies administering trust funds to do. I may, if I so please, employ ten or twelve persons in weaving the material for the clothing of my family, and by so doing feed perhaps 50 persons ; but usually I buy the material woven at Onehunga. But were Ito do otherwise no one would have the right to blame me. It is not, however, permitted to public bodies to so use the funds committed to them; they must be governed by the lowest markot price : hence the system of offering all works to public tender. Or, Mr. Firth in producing the thousands of tons of flour might, instead of using the elaborate machinery in his mill, employ hundreds, if not thousands, of men to get the same result; or he might, instead of using the brilliant electric light, use the Union Company's excellent candles, and so give employment to hundreds of workmen in producing those candles ; but he does not. do so. As a private person, however, he would be justified, because everyone may do as he will with his own. But if he had partners who trusted his discretion and business knowledge he would be wrong, because he would not be justified in fantastically spending another man's capital. The body of ratepayers are Mr. Evans' partners, and they hold him responsible for the rightful expenditure of their funds. Charitable aid, however disguised, is forbidden to the Borough Council alike by common sense and law.—l am, &c., Ratepayer.