The Borough Council.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2029, 11 February 1887, Page 2

The Borough Council.

To the Editor of the Standard. Sir,—l would ask you as a favor, to allow me a small space in your valuable paper, to call attention to the lust meeting of the Borough Council. Some of the jnveoile fathers seem to think they are authorities on all matters. Before setting themselves up as authorities, perhaps they would listen to a little reason. If the members of the Grey, town Borough Council, who feel they know a great deni about procedure, would read Sir T. Eskin May’s Lawn, Privileges , Proceedings , and Usage of Parliament ; or Lucy's Parliamentary Procedure —for I believe the Rules of Debate in the Imperial Parliament are as much as possible adhered to in the Council—they would liud out at once how little they know. Instead of insulting the chair, they would read up on procedure ; and take the beam out of their own eyes before trying to take the mote out of others’ eyes. A capital story is told of a clerk in the employ of the Government, an obnoxious egotist, which might apply here. He was continually using the first personal pronoun, I wonld do so and so. One day he said :— •■ If that had been me I would have blown my brains out.’’ ” No,” said another clerk who looked gently up from bis desk, “ You might have made a hole in your head, but no brains wonld have come out.” It may be something like this with “ the set ” of wise councillors ? The head may be there but the brains wanting. Gents learn before you begin to teach. But it may be you can’t learn ; well if the brains have not been put in it’s not your fault. It is a great pity that any councillors should allow personal feelings to creep into public business, because it brings ridicule not only on the Council but the whole borough. A repetition of the disgraceful scene of last Monday night will most certainly give unenviable notoriety to the Council. The character of our local legislators should be suoh that they can be looked nptoand lespected by the townspeople. If there is a member or two of the Council who wish to get lor themselves a name, and specially celebrated for their meaningless harangue, they ought to find some ether place to air their opinions, explode their gas, and expose their ignorance then the Borough Council meetings. All honour to the Mayor and common sense councillors for protecting the rights of their honourable body. Continue to act honestly and fairly and you will receive the thanks and support of the educated and principled of your fellow towamen. Treat kindly the young aspirants and doubtless they will learn how to behave themselves and conduct business in a business like manner. 1 am, Ac., Decorum. Greytown, February 10,1887.