TAPANUI BOROUGH DIAMOND JUBILEE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23202, 28 May 1937, Page 6

TAPANUI BOROUGH DIAMOND JUBILEE

TO THE EDITOR

Sir,—The diamond jubilee of the borough of Tapanui has just been celebrated, although the celebrations should have been arranged for about March 31, 1936, which marked the sixtieth anniversary of the borough. For some unassigned reason the present council postponed for 14 months any recognition of such a significant occasion. It was not until the ratepayers began to express themselves very freely on the matter that the council was aroused from its apathy and made hurried arrangements for the celebrations. It did not, however, take the ratepayers into its confidence, but decided upon the form of commemoration which, in its opinion, would be appropriate. This consisted of a concert given by a party from Dunedin, to which the ratepayers were admitted free, persons other than ratepayers being charged 2s 6d. and of a reunion banquet on the following afternoon. Evidently the banquet was exclusively for the entertainment of past and present councillors and a few privileged guests. In the evening a ball was held and to this the ratepayers and a few others were admitted free, others, whose names were submitted by the councillors, having to payladies 2s and 3s by men. It should be mentioned that a few councillors are "enduring" their first term of office, and some are practically recent arrivals in the borough and are in no way associated with the early settlement or the growth and progress of the district. It would appear, Sir, that the council made the occasion an excuse for the honouring of its own members ana friends at the expense of the ratepayers, for those who should have been honoured were those associated with the early settlement of the borough and are still resident there, together with their descendants. The pioneers of outback districts are deserving of our admiration and respect, not only because of the goodly heritage they bequeathed to future generations, but because of their courage, hardihood, and character. These people, both men and women, were completely ignored by those responsible for the jubilee celebrations, yet these people are actually meeting the expense that was incurred, not directly but indirectlythrough their rates. The position may bristle with difficulty in the event of the amounts recently expended and the estimated cost of the celebrations together with the value of the water pipes practically presented to nonratepayers, exceeding the amount of £SO. which I believe is the limit for unauthorised expenditure by this borough I do not object to the celebration of events; it would be tragic as well as pathetic if important events in history were, through our neglect, not to be commemorated, but I do most emphatically resent the honours being enjoyed by a select few at the expense of and to the deep disappointment of the many. The key-word of the jubilee should have been remembrance not of ourselves but of others. The ancient Jews celebrated their jubilee not because of their release and their subsequent prosperity but in grateful remembrance of Him and those who had served them in the past years. The present council had a unique opportunity in planning the celebrations to reinstate itself in favour by freely bestowing honour where honour was

due, but on this occasion, as in its recent action in hiring pipes to nonratepayers when ratepayers' prior claims and rights were deliberately ignored, this august body has proved itself unworthy of the confidence of the ratepayers. The diamond jubilee of Tapanui will long be remembered not so much by what was done but by what was left undone to make it a memorable occasion.—l am, etc., Tapanui. G. P. Cuttriss.