THE Poverty Bay Independent. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. Saturday, September 19, 1885.

Poverty Bay Independent, Volume I, Issue 51, 19 September 1885, Page 2

THE Poverty Bay Independent. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. Saturday, September 19, 1885.

There has been much blowing of trumbers lately to the tune of “ Our Model Council,”and although, curiously enough, it has all proceeded from the Councillors themselves, we are quite prepared to endorse Councillor Smith’s assertion that the present is certainly, in many ways, a “ Model Council.” To prove this we might refer to a few recent matters in connection with the late foreshore valuations, the purchase of the wharf store, the Turanganui bridge, the advertising contract, and many such like honest and straightforward actions, but more especially to the discussion which took piace at the last meeting upon the matter of dividing the Borough into Wards. The mere introduction of this subject caused consternation and a great flutter of alarm amongst the “ model ” dovecotes, and with one exception—His Worship the Mayor—the idea was “ howled down.” But why ? Because it at once strikes at the very root of that dense conservatism and monopoly of representation which now effectually shuts out and renders powerless the votes of more than twothirds of that class of voters who are the very backbone of this promising and rising town. At present the majority of the ratepayers are in the hands of the Philistines, and their lock of strength is shorn by the Delilah known as the “ combination.” At present there are, roundly, about 350 electors in the Borough who possess the following voting powers : —

350 Voters exercising a total of 594 A further analysis shows that one firm through its leading partners exercises the influence of fifteen votes, another ten, auother eight, another seven, and two more six each. It is also seen that while 135 votes exercise 379 votes, the remaining 215 voters only exercise 215 votes, and 63 voters actually outvote 215 single votersBut even this large disparity does no'' quite show the full extent of the evil, as in many instances a number of the single votes are under control of the larger ones. This manifestly unfair state of things can be most effectually remedied by those who are at present suffering from its effect. Section twenty-one of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1576, provides that “ If not less than one-fourth of the Burgesses of a Borough petit ition the Governor praying him to divide such Borough into wards, the Governor may, by proclamation, divide such Borough into not less than three, or more than six wards, and shall in such proclamation assign such name, and boundaries, to each ward as he thinks fit.” To render this intelligable to ail we may state that providing one fourth of the ratepayers in the Borough sign a petition, praying that the Borough be divided into not less than three or more than five wards, returning three Councillors for each ward, nothing can prevent their wishes being accomplished. It is not our intention at present to go into the broadel principles involved in this question, but we may here state that where a man happens to nominally hold property which by way of mortgage or otherwise virtually belongs to another, he has no right to exercise mote votes than the man who really holds a reasonable property in his own right. The urgent necessity for the proposed step must be apparent to all, and the rapid development of the Borough and the large increase in the value of property which must take place within the next few months render the change an absolute requirement of the times. In considering this matter it must also be remembered that a movement is now on foot, having for its object the inauguration of large public works, entailing the outlay of enormous sums of money which must come from the ratepayer’s pockets, and unless the representation is far more equally distributed than' at present there is nothing to prevent certain interested persons saddling the burgesses with a permanent and ruinous taxation for the purpose of immediate private gain. The present is a most crucial period of our local history when we are on the eve of great changes and it behoves us to exercise a wise discretion in these matters in order that the greatest amount of good mav result to the greatest number. The arguments used against the movement by Councillors at the last meeting tend, more than anything else, to show the necessity for ths fchange. One member urged that providing the Borough was split up

into wards each member would be clamouring for his own ward. Just so ; and by that means each ward would exercise a most salutary control over the others, and thus provide the necessary check upon jobbery. Much more will be said upon the subject, but in the mean time steps are being taken to bring the matter forward, when the decision will rest with the discriminating public.

11 Voters exercising 5 each 55 24 „ 4 „ 96 28 » 3 .. 84 72 „ „ 2 „ 144 215 „ •» 1 M 215