Wellington Independent. WEDNESDAY, 3rd SEPTEMBER.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3900, 3 September 1873, Page 2

Wellington Independent. WEDNESDAY, 3rd SEPTEMBER.

The growing interest manifested year by year in municipal affairs is gratifying evidence of a healthy activity of mind in the burgesses of "Wellington, and good augury that reform will be gradually effected where most needed. The deep interest taken in these elections by the ratepayers, and the number of candidates coming forward, go to show that there are reasonable grounds for dissatisfaction at the mode in which the affairs of the City Council are being managed. Whether rightly or not, there is no denying tbat such a feeling exists, though the causes for it have as yet assumed only the form of sweeping generalities ; - but any person who has given attention to our municipal affairs must admit that the causes for com plaint have been much exaggerated. ! No one will be rash enough to say that there is no need for reform. Abuses, perhaps, do exist, as they must continue to do, to a certain extent, with any body of men. All work must necessarily bear the mark* of the imperfect instruments by which it is carried out ; and in this respect, perhaps, the doings of the City Council have been a faithful reflex of tbe aggregate wisdom of its members. Such as it has been, it would be well for the ratepayers to cast a retrospectiye glance over the period intervening between the fossil days of the old Town Board and those of the present Council. If we impartially examine the many and extensive municipal arrangements entered into of late years, and look at the aggregate results, we can see no reason to be dissatisfied with the Council as a whole. In all its transactions it has displayed enterprise with caution, and the result has been eminently satisfactory. Looked at broadly, therefore, the efforts of the Council during the past few years have been an unmistakable success. This should be remembered by the ratepayers in choosing their representatives. New candidates are always brimful of promises, but new brooms do not always sweep clean. Disappointment, too, is generally the fate of ardent reformers. The abuses they were to . sweep away often become too minute for their reformatory besom, and things remain pretty much as they were. The Council as at present constituted is a pretty good instance of this. No one doubts the thorough desire for reform "which animates Councillors Buckley, Burrett. Major Paul, and other new men; yet we confess we cannot trace any- great alteration in the old system to

either of these gentlemen. "With the very best intentions, and with the ready support of other members of the Council, their "advent has marked no " new departure." The complaints and abuses that are said to exist now were scarcely in a more flourishing condition ten years ago. Still there is a faith in " new blood " that is not easily upset ; and it is evident that the ratepayers will have an opportunity of gratifying their predilections in this direction in the forthcoming elections. ' That they will do so in some instances is evidenced . in Mr M'Kirdy's caso. Several new candidates have announced themselves ; but their chances of success are not alike. Mr M'Kirdy is certain to be elected for Te Aro Ward. Mr Dransfield very wisely declined to contest the ward which he bas represented for the last eight years. Tbat he bas not given unmixed satisfaction does not prove that he has not done his duty honestly and fairly. It must be remembered that Te Ar« is the largest ward in the city, as well as the one of greatest area, and from its peculiar configuration calls for a greater expenditure of money than any other. Thorndon Ward is to a ceitain extent similarly placed. Lambton Quay, however, being the business centre of the city, cannot be neglected. Hence the jealousy of other ■ wards ; but the representatives are not so much to blame for any inequality of expenditure as the circumstances of the ca.se. After all, there has been nothing of a very specific nature brought forward against Mr Dransfield in his capacity as councillor. His greatest sin seems to be that he has not made himself popular. That he has done good service, no one can deny. The purchase of the wharf and reclaimed land was a beneficial transaction, for which the ratepayers may mainly thank him ; for everyone recollects the opposition with which tbe proposals were met at the time ; and those wbo are most averse to taxation must thank the present Mayor that they are not now paying a much larger rate. He is essentially business-like and progressive in his ideas. His whole career | has shown this. The manner in which he has advocated tbe reclamation of the Te Aro foreshore is only another instance of the practical nature of Mr Dransfield's mind. Admitting the justness of the arguments used against such an extensive undertaking, it must be remembered tbat while the city has land to spare for many years for building purposes, it is somewhat deficient in a water frontage that could be made available for commercial purposes. The proposed reclamation would, if carried out, afford all that is required in this direction, and make Te Aro all that it was intended it should be at the laying out of the settlement — the most important portion of the town. It has been said that he would be a bold man who dare contest Lambton Ward with Mr Buckley. That Mr Dransfield has dared to do so is at once proof of his sagacity and boldness. He must have been defeated in Te Aro; he may win in Lambton Quay. If he should do so, it will be no disparagement to Mr Buckley, whose term of office in the Council has been distinguished by attention 'to business and a boldness of speech that has secured him many admirers. Still he will have to combat the effects of the Mayor's long tenure of office, his large experience, and the undoubted services he has performed for the city at large. The contest must be a keen one, but we hope it will be fought out fairly, and thafc neither candidate will have recourse to anything that he might be ashamed of hereafter. It may also be said that no other man in the city would have so much chance against Mr Buckley as his present opponent, and precisely for those claims and qualities we have already mentioned. As for Thorndon Ward, we should be sorry to see an old and faithful representative such as Mr Borlase is affronted by the election of a new man. Mr Carter is no doubt as practical a man as Mr Maginity is a wellintentioned one, but we fail to see what either can offer to the ratepayers that they have not received at the hands of their present representative ; and if the veteran of the Council should go to the pol, we expect to see him honorably lifted into his old place.

The debate on the Provincial Loan Bill was concluded yesterday, with tbe result recorded elsewhere, and about tbe best speech, not only upon that subject, but probably one of the best speeches made upon any subject in the House this session, was that delivered by Mi* Andrew, one of the members for Wairarapa, Judging from that gentleman's previous performances, it could not have been expected that he was capable of delivering such a speech as he did. It was throughout an able and scholarly production. Despite the infirmity in respect to deliverance which tbat gentleman labors under, tbe speech commended itself to the House by its logical reasoning, and by that very rare quality, the aptness of its illustrations. The hon gentleman, although evidently opposed to the bill, announced bis intention of voting for it -on the negative ground that, as the Government had made it a Ministerial question, he was not prepared to assist in turning out the present Administration. The aptest passage in Mr Andrew's speech was that in which lie referred to the position which the Premier had taken up in his Financial Statement. Mr Andrew said tbat we bad had several policies under different designations. There was the "great policy" of 1870, brought forward by the hon member, Mr Yogel ; then we had, during the short term of office of Mr Stafford, the policy of " prudence and economy ;" and now the House was asked to assent to a policy of "equilibrium." Mr Audrew said there were various processes by which the position of equilibrium could be reached. There was first of all the statical equilibrium, I which simply amounted to a body being

in a state of rest by itß centre of gravity being in the line of support. Then there was what was called dynamic equilibrium, in which a body which in its normal state must necessarily tumble, did riot do so, but was kept in an upright position by, rotatory motion — as, for instance, the common top ! The inference from this passage evidently was, that the Government did not possess statical equilibrium, but was able to maintain an upright position to a certain extent by means of a " whirl" — and tbe meaning conveyed was that the Government held their seats through the continual changes whioh they were proposing to the House. The hon gentleman adorned his speech by several other illustrations equally apt and humorous as the one we have just quoted, and he concluded his remarks by stating that he would vote for tbe bill for the simple reason tbat be ob jected to turn out the present Government seeing that there was no other authorised parly to take tbeir place. To give the hon gentleman's own illustration, he compared tbe Government to an animal which had no vertebras, but remarked that there was a condition of animal life wbich although not vertebrated still possessed some power of tenacity, namely, the crustaceu, which species was endowed with a thick shell and strong claws. He remarked that when he looked around and saw that the Opposition had no head, he was rather inclined to vote for the other order of animals. Altogetber, MiAndrew's speech was one of tbe best that has been made in the House for a long time.