The Star.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3589, 11 October 1879, Page 2

The Star.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1879,

We should be exceedingly sorry to believe tho motion of. which Councillor Cuff has given notice — " That in future the sum paid to the Mayor for official expenditure during his term of office Bhall bo any Bum, payable from time to time, iu such amounts as may be voted by the Council " — is the bondjide result of hiß own thought. We havo no wißh to form other than a high opinion of Councillor Cuff, but the motion before us is so very equivocal in its character as to expose him to grave suspicion. If, in moving hi3 motion, he gives public assurance that, in this matter, he is acting solely from the conclusions of hie own mind, we shall, of course, gladly accept bis statement ; but until he does so we must continue to hold tho opinion that thvs motion is an emanation from the Committeo of that wondrously liberal and most unpopular body — the Ratepayers Association. Ifc is eo characteristic of their principles. A body that regards the generality of the citizens as " a lot of roughs ;*" a body holding themselves as the .peculiar representatives of property out of an entirely property constituency .•• who decline admission to their charming circle unless the respectablilifcy of tho bold applicant i3 guaranteed by one of their number and duly certified — of course after investigation— % one of the Committee j is not likely to contemplate the possible election of any mere tradesman to the office of Mayor, with other eyes than those of the -most pious horror.; Wo are aware of the movements which' havo been made to induce several opulent and very highly esteemed marchants to oiler themselves for the position of Mayor of Christohurch ; and, in declining, these gentlemen — or at least some of them — have offered reasons very creditable to them. The position of Mayor is a gift in the hands of the ratepayers to be awarded by them, ia a)l but most exceptional instances, to those who have honourably and faithfully served the city in the past. It would be a piece of sheer presumption in any citizen who has never served the ratepayers in! any capacity, and who has no public! performances whatever to support him, to challenge the election of one who has borne the heat and burden of theday. No gentleman possessed of good feeling and clear comprehension is likely to assume such a position, and withoutßuch qualifications no one is worthy of such an honour.

It seems to ub that the purpose to be achieved in bringing this motion forward at this particular time, is — in the event of its being adopted — to shut out all but very wealthy citizens from offering themselves for election as Mayor. There are three candidates, we believe, at present beforo the rate. payerß : the present Mayor and Councillors Ayers and Gapes. Neither of these gentlemen, we uuderstand, havo found favour with tho Committeo of tho ..Ratepayers Association, yet as a matter of fact they are the only gentlemen who (PSBsess any bona fide claims upon the citizens at this time. Councillor Cuff certainly has exposed himself to tho suspicion that, in order to crush thej candidature of theße gentlemen, he has/ brought forward a motion which, practically, will have the effect of outtiDg off -the Mayoral allowance for this year. Of course we know nothing of the plan which Councillor Cuff proposes to substitute for that which, for several years, haß been in operation in this city, beyond what the terma of hie motion discloses ; but if we understand him rightly Councillor Cuff's intention is that the principle of a fixed allowance of a certain sum per annum is to be abandoned, and the Mayor is to be compelled to make application from time to time to tho Oity Council, or to havo doled oat to him from time to time as the City Council may see fit ,very uncertain sums. Whether, in the •event of this motion being carried the Mayor will be called upon to produce an. estimate in advance of his probable requirements in charities, festivities, .cvOy or whether ho wiil require to furnish vouchers for his paßt outlay before a recoup will bo voted is not clearly stated, but perhaps both courses are intended. The practical effect would be that no gentleman having any proper respect for his own sensibilities — unless Councillor Cuff himself contemplate* elsetion-*~wonld consent to come

before the Council either in forma pauperis, or as a servant for his wage, as the adoption of thia motion will certainly necessitate. Rather than accept such a humiliating position the allowance wonld altogether be dispensed witb,- and thus no citizen except one well able to meet the necessary and inevitable calls, would present himself for Buch an office. Ifc may be urged — and no donbb will be — that Bome of our Mayors in the past bave nofc expended the allowance voted from the rates in the manner contemplated either by the citizens or the statute ; and no doubt there is much truth in this. The payment to the Mayor is nofc in the nature of a salary for the time and talent he giveß to hia office ; the honour of the position is supposed to more than | co.er tbat. The allowance may more correctly be described as a portion of tbe city revenue Bet apart for the individual expenditure of the municipal head of tbe city, and to be wholly expended upon purposes to which be would not be called upon to subscribe were be only a pmate citizen. The expenditure of this allowance is left, and must continue to be left, wholly to the honour of the gentleman whom the citizens choose to elect. The City Council have no righfc to attempt — after tbe manner of thia motion — either to restrict the choice of the citizens, or ta reduce the gentleman elected by their free voices, to tbe position of a bumble dependent upon their changeful liberality.

We regret that this motion comes as it does at this juncture tinder mosfc suspicious circumstances, nor oan ifc be justified upon any ground of expediency or reason. If Councillor Cuff ib in a position to demonstrate thafc past Mayors have not expended the whole of their annual allowance as they ought to have done, \ then his observations will no doubt weigh heavily againsfc the gentlemen whose conduct he thua impugns, and probably they will never be entrusted with public positions again ; but bia words -will afford no sound argument for subjecting, in tbe future, gentlemen who have never so sinned to tbe humiliation of not being esteemed worthy of trust. The citizens, ifc must be confessed, have had their choice of Mayor somewhat narrowed during the past two yeara. Through the resignations of Councillors, and the abandonment of their public positions by others, few public men bave been left possessing claims for consideration — together with the necessary experience and mental qualifications — to come forward offering themselves as candidates. After this year, however, we trust a much healthier condition of municipal affairs will subaist. The present Council consists of gentlemen from amongst whom, noxfc year, many candidates for the position will no doubt ap* pear, each well qualified and each having claims for consideration ; so that tbe present paucity of eligible citizens from amongst whom candidates can be chosen may never occur again. In any case the election of Mayor under the present law is left with tbe citizens, and the responsibility for the improper expenditure — or the wanfc of expenditure — of the Mayoral allowance does not fall upon tbe Councillors; tbeir business is to vote tbe money in such a manner as will nofc wound tho susceptibilities or slight tho honour of 'the chosen of tho ratepayers. As individual citizens it is open to the Councillors to use their utmost exertions to "return tbe candidate to the position who will disburse the allowances honourably in accordance with the spirit and intention of the voters, and we advise them strongly to adhere strictly to that course.