BOROUGH AFFAIRS.

Waikato Times, Volume 92, Issue 14365, 17 May 1920, Page 5

BOROUGH AFFAIRS.

To the Editor.) Sir, —Mr Tidd is on good ground when he buses Mr row's claims to support on Ids epidemic work rather than his management of borough affairs. !l is a pily fur Mr Tidd that he can’t, us- 1 the epidemic argument to make some case for himself and his illiev friends. Mr Tidd is very solicitous for the memory of deceased mayors, lie omits, however, to point out Iliat. the steam plant was part of Mr Ellis' policy, and it is Mr Tidd who wants to reject it. Why docs not Mr Tidd observe com - mon honesty? He knows that lie :s stating an untruth when he misquotes our published reasons for resigning. It is very unsportsmanlike and contemptible, after asking the retiring Councillors to tic Ip the Borough out in the matter of the Prince’s reception an 1 accepting their help, to turn round afterwards and attack the people who have yielded to entreaty. Why does not Mr Tidd recognise that we are all doing our best for the town, and that sp’lte is quite out of place whether one agrees or disagrees,—l am, etc., SYDNEY TOMBS. 15th May, 1920. (Published by Arrangement.) (To the Editor.) Sir, —If I stated; “While walking down the street I met John Brown, and, he was perfectly sober,” I would no doubt be speaking the truth; but in reality 1 would be doing a great deal more, for by insinuation I would lie implying that John Brown occasionally imbibed too freely. When Mr P. H. Watts and his friends issue a circular and head it ”On the Road to Ruin,” and embody features designed to unfairly reflect on the capabilities of Mr J. R. Fovv by telling only part of the (ruth, they descend to the same level as the traducer of John Brown. It would appear that a long apprenticeship to local hair-s.plitting has turned Mr Watts into something of a contortionist. It would have added merit lo Mr Watts’ figures if he had stated that in addition to a substantial addition to the water rale the general rate had been increased from 3id in 1919 lo approximately 4 7-24 d in 1924, producing £12,900, as against £10,950. Further, if Mr Watts had’desired lo be strictly accurate he should have stated the hank overdraft at March 31, 1919, was £ 17,0’i0, and at March 31, 1920, it stood at £10,841, showing a decrease ol £800; but against this an item of £3lO for coal had been juggled with in order lo improve the position for 1920, and thereby create a burden for 1921. In April generally of bach year it, is the practice of local bodies- lo frame the estimates for the year just entered upon, and the rates are struck accordingly. Unfortunately, too manylocal bodies err on the side of striking a rale too low for the purpose, when some wizard of finance of the hairsplitting calibre of Mr Walls may eome j along and, by inference, blame them for incompetence. In April, 1915, Mr Manning was elected Mayor, and Messrs Watts, How den, McKinnon and Trist- < ram assisted with the estimates. Mr Manning resigned in December of the same year ami Mr .1. E. Hammond look Ids place for the remaining three months. Therefore it is ungenerous to place the deficit mentioned in tin; circular lo Mr Hammond; and the same applies in later years to Mr Fow. Upon the death pf Mr Hammond in June, 1916, Mr Fow was called to the office on the unanimous and apparently cordial support of every man in the Council. The estimates had already ! been approved and rales arranged lor. I Messrs Walls, Hovvden, McKinnon and 1 Tristram were again members of this Council, and certainly some of them vied with each other in extolling Mr Few’s virtues, and in pressing on him the necessity of bis accepting the office for the remainder of the term, and pledging loyally. It is superfluous to say the war was raging and war matter’s alone would have kept an ordinaryman more than fully employed, hut Mr Few’s time was so faithfully and ungrudgingly given that as a side-line he even found lime lo farewell 35 out of the 43 contingents which we were privileged to send from Waikato. During the same period scores of men who were regularly coming in from the outdistricts were employed on borough works in order lo keep them in readiness for their contingent when required. This naturally look a great deal of money which was not provided for the in estimates, in 1918 Mr .1. W. Ellis accepted office for a second i term on the express stipulation lli.it, Mr Fow should stand by him. On Hie death of Mr Ellis, in August, 1918, when Messrs Jolly, Howilen, Tombs and Tristram were members of Hie Council, Hie same pressure and (what have now been proved to be insincere) pledges of loyally were expressed. These gentlemen aii assisted Mr Ellis to frame Hie estimates lor that year, and though they may now lake pleasure in persuading themselves they are a bunch of pretty snowdrops, the crime. I of the excessive expenditure referred 'to in Hie circular must be shared by llumi equally with Fow, Mason. I’idd and Snell, it is not necessary lo mulliplv proof of the eases, anxieties and hard work file epidemic entailed on Mr Fow, but surely his magnificent services in this direction outweigh any vote lie may possibly have east in the direction of supporting a motion making Hie rale a half-penny less Ilian subsequent events proved it should have been. When one recollects Hie eulogy passed round the Council table on Mr Fow’s services at Hie time of the epidemic, and the manner in which some, i f the same men express their feelings in circulars to-day, one is tempted to say human nature is very perverse and terribly unreliable; and all Ibis commotion is caused for the reason Ihal Mr i Fow sides with those whom Watts and Co. stated in effect wen- too illiterate tn know what lliey were voting upon a| Hie recent poll, and because later he signified his willingness to assist in i taking on Hie jolt lliey hail so unceremoniously and al such an awkward tune vacated. I am bold enough to add that had the commercial interests in this town been as grateful as they ought lo 1 have been for the services so willingly j and capably rendip'il liy Mr Fow, lliey I would have reeogniseil il as their duly ! to have seen he tilled Hie term comi meneing in 1919 as Mayor without a eimlest, not 1 hul Mr Vow fears a contest, for on Hie six occasions he yas taken pari in a borough election, he lias been either first or second on the list. I am sure the result on Wednesday will not spoil this record, even in the face oi wilful and studied misrepresentation. I am, etc., JAS. E. TIDD. P.S. —Mr Howden's name is included in the family parly for Hie reason that rumour says lie isho be Hie new Mayor jr the result longed fur at Hie poll is aehii’V od.