RESIGNATION OF COUNCILLORS.

Waikato Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1198, 2 March 1880, Page 3

RESIGNATION OF COUNCILLORS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — Touching the statement in the address of the Mayor, Councillors Knox, (Jumming and McDonald, resigning their seats in the Borough Council, and published in Saturday's issue, I beg to make the following observations :— Thegrounds for their taking this step, are due, say they, to the burgesses having elected Mr Price, as Councillor, and thereby under represented their side. These four gentlemen, then affect, to have more solicitude for the interest of East Hamilton than the burgesses themselves residing there. The goodly majority of Mr Price over the Other candidates made up, doubtless, of numerous friends in East Hamilton, shews the small confidence they place in these four gentlemen, as Mayor, and Councillors, who unhesitatingly incur the expense of another election, but not until they have been defeated, and when the finances of the Borough are in a low state. Thus, they show again their consideration for the pockets of the ratepayers. They 'omit Cr. Beale's name from the list of East Hamilton Councillors, and so raise another false issue. And let me say here, that Cr. Beale has done more good for j East Hamilton and the Borough as a whole, than either of the four gentlemen. If they doubt this, let them refer to the minute book. Crs. dimming, Knox, McDonald, Beale, and the Mayor make 5 out of 10 votes, with the casting vote of the Mayor as an East Hamilton man, and yet they cry " unfairly represented." j Now, let us look to the amounts expended on either side of the river : that is in East and West Hamilton respectively, for roads, bridges and culverts, for year ending, 31st March, 1879, and see if East Hamilton has been unfairly used in this respect. Whereas, West Hamilton contributes §as against i, of the rates. I find that West Hamilton has not so much by over £122 expended in it for that period, as East Hamilton, and I believe the expenditure to date, would shew a similar result. I fear, Mr Editor, that we must look for other motives than those alleged for the unconceivable course, these memorable four have thought fit to adopt • 'in the interests of the ratepayers?" My only wish it* to warn the East Hamilton ratepayers, in the absence of any better reason, against allowing themselves to be humbugged in the interim, and to ask Messrs. Dawson, Cumming, Knox and McDonald, why they could not face their duties in the Council ? Yea, in the event of a possible minority, in a feeling of fair public spirit, and why they should insult the ratepayers in the face of the inconvenience and expense of another election brought about by them by trying to throw dust in their eyes ?— I am, &c,, William Jones.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,— Surely your advertising columns are not open for hoaxes ; and yet I can hardly believe that the letter purporting to come from four councillors tendering their resignation can be anything else. It seems incredible that any man or body of men can be so lost to dignity as to petulantly throw away the trust committed to their keeping by their brother burgesses simply because their nominee has not been elected. I understand that at least 23 votes out of the 51 polled by the East Hamilton candidate were given by West Hamilton men, so that he could not have had more than 2G votes from the east bide of the river, and that many of the votes given to the successful candidate c irae from the eastern side, so I apprehend theho two facts bhow conclusively that the burgesses on the east side do not feel aggrieved. Really, men who have civic responsibility entrusted to their keeping ou^ht to think a little while before they act. Their fellow burgesses put them in their respective positions to fulfil a trust, the welfare of the borough, and never dreamt that they could be so childish as to vent their spleen in this manner just because they perceive that the burgesses have minds of their own, and use their freedom as all Britons should. I trust they now feel ashamed of their petulance, and will have the manliness to withdraw their resignation and determine to work cordially with their brethren in office for the welfare of the municipality. Puck.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,— ln looking over your last Saturday's issue I find the Mayor and three of our Borough Councillors have tendered their resignations, giving as their pretext unequal representation caused by result of recent election, which is, to my mind, a farce, and to the burgesses an insult ; the said elections having tested the opinions of the ratepayers in a most unanimous manner, particularly Hamilton East. As tvn example to show the absurdity of this childish excuse. Was not Mr J. K. McDonald using his influence in endeavoring to procure votes for Mr Gwynne so as to get him elected ; and is not Mr Gwynne a Hamilton West man ? The true reason appears to be this : the said Councillors wish to carry on as they themselves think Jit, and in order to do so used their utmost endeavors to get a man elected to work entirely with them, and this being tested by the burgesses proves such an utter failure as to disgust them altogether. — I am, &c, Ratepayer.