THE MAYORALTY

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2427, 16 February 1909, Page 2

THE MAYORALTY

[To ran Edit on.] Sir, —J bog to join issue with you on : your, leader of to-day’s issue, re the Mayoralty. In the first, place _ you are assuming rather much in taking it for granted that a change, will of neccessity bo made at the forthcoming elections. I have no doubt that the wish is to further the thought amongst the relics of stagnation composing the ranks of opposition. But their day is past. The cry of the majority to-day is “Progress.” As to the barrenness of the • past year. Who is to blame for it? The Mayor, on taking office, found himself the inheritor of a series ol' legacies, each of which was already proving itself an incubus to the Council. The Council had previously shown its inability to grapple with it, and hated the thought of another succeeding where it had failed. On the Mayor (Mr. Lysnar) bringing forward proposals calculated to meet the difficulties, he was treated with derision and insult, not because of his policy, not because of liis principles, but simply because he was the man who had beate n them when they had said he could not, and they none of them relished “eating the' leek.” Had the councillors taken the proposals seriously, on their merits, sifting wheat from the chaff, and making the best possible use of the resultant wheat, the town of GisGisborne would have been better ofl to-day, and some, at least, of the Council’s difficulties would have disappeared. But this course was evidently beyond them, and besides, Mr. Lysnar would have scored, and this would have caused * them endless agony. Consequently the chief argument used against Mr. Lysnar was abuse, and the only points he made were gained at the point of tlio bayonet—lienee, further abuse. Agava, is the statement re barrenness justified, seeing that the cost of Kaiteratahi metal has been reduced to onehalf what it was on the present Mayor ta'king office, and this on his initiative. If nothing further could bo urged in his favor (which I deny) this in itself is of sufficient importance to justify Mr. Lysnar being again returned in order that he may complete the policy he has so ably inaugurated. I am rather pleased than otherwise at vour [ten portraiture of the ideal Mayor. In this you have evidently had Mr. W. I). Lysnar in your eyed The ideals you claim for are more nearly to be found in our present Mayor than in any other man in this town, ali of which goes to prove that your opposition is not againstthe man’s policy or principles, hut only against the man himself. The fact is Mr. W. D. Lysnar is too progressive for the sleepy-headed portion of the community. He is too vigorous to follow in the old lame -and halting methods of the past. He is too quick to grasp and grapple with the position as it occurs to he popular with his opponents. But when the time comes mu will find the broad-minded, progressive people of Gisborne returning as their Mayor the same Mr. AY . DLysnar.—l am etc., _.. 7 "

[To tiie Editor.] Sir,—As manager and editor of the “Times” 1 take it for granted that you are an educated man with honorable gentlemanly instincts which recoil from the promptings of any evil control that obliges you to sec no good traits in a man’s character when the fiat goes forth that his failings are to be magnified and if necessary elaborated. 1 have no doubt that your better instincts rise in revolt, and your national love of British hull-dog pluck and endurance,, are strained to the breaking point when your mental eye conjures up before you the form of the person you have to attack, as lie stands proudly (“taking all the points on his target”) not deigning to reply, but treating with unmoved scorn and contempt, the highest flights of detractory venom you are forced to use, without breaking the libel laws.I deeply sympathise with you, sir, for the ignoble stand you are obliged to take to justify the- motives of policy, party, or dictated to you in order to gratify personal grudges of low and contemptable origin calculated to damage the public career of a man whose only faults are his great zeal and boundless energy in trying to improve the administration of public affairs of our district. Being a comparative stranger here, you hardly realise the true state of affairs as they existed in the local councils when Mr. Lysnar, a few years ago, entered publie life. Our three governing bodies were grinding, away -at their little coffee mills, in a placid atmosphere of mutual admiration, with a watchful eye on the bank overdraft, and gaily passing the accounts accordingly. “The devil among the tailors” is but a poor illustration of the advent of such a mass of energy into those still waters, where existence had hitherto been smoothed down by their ability or otherwise to minimise the rates, so that the corporation could work on an overdraft at 6 per cent. It is evident that a man of initiative and ability determined to- take advantage, of the facilities to progress offered by capitalists to instutitions having ample security would he a disturbing element- in this class of mutual-admir-ation-rate-distributing and perpetual-overdraft-society and calculated to raise a dogged opposition to every pro-

gressive measure introduced in their councils. Young ' industries, young, countries, and young communities require capital to give them a fair start. This policy is always found most successful when the moneys are handled with administrative capacity to control and economically apply the loans to regenerative work. Our Mayor, Mr Lysnar, has amply shewn, and publicly proved, that he has the '.initiative to introduce, the s'kill to allocate, and the ability to plan the economical application of the. funds to the best-ends. He is not only capable in the necessary qualifications, hut extremely successful in the measures and reforms lie has forced through his fellow members by his indomitable pluck and patient, persistent" advocacy in every council that he has been a member of. The following is a rough sketch of some of some of the many public benefits lie has either initiated, or in which he lias been the moving spirit, sparing neither" mind, body, nor estate. (1) He was an active member of the Railway League. (2) He was a promoter of the Sheep Farmers’ Freezing Works. (3) He killed the Waihirere water scheme. (4) He; fought hard for the amalgamation of Greater Gisborne. (5) He strongly condemned the use of spiral pipes. (6) He fought the new harbor tariff to adoption, which has made the ships pay a fair charge, to the relief of wharfages, and is freeing the harbor district of rates. (7) He worked hard for the street and recreation loan proposals, which would have improved the Borough finances and made our roads without additional taxation to ratepayers. (8) Ho introduced a loan scheme in the County Council that would have altered the present deadlock in its affairs without over-burdening its ratepayers. (9) He introduced Jickell’s drainage scheme, -a simpler, and .more economical one than Mestayer’s. (10) He directed the attention to the Kaitavatahi shingle, and has, of his own motion, introduced such economical machinery for handling it that it can be delivered in town at half price. (11) He. cheapened the Patutahi metal by the introduction of the Straker waggon and economical handling. (12) He is engaged in acquiring -and opening up a quarry at Gentle Annie Hill for the Borough, of better stone than Patutahi.

The above [mints have been all brought before the public, and the records can be confirmed by the Press extracts and Council minutes. He is engaged privately in successful local industries and carries out the social and popular duties of his office in an admirable manner. Earnest and determined against factious opposition, but ever ready to debate his, or other proposals, on fair logical grounds. His untiring energy and ability are devoted to Lie welfare of the people, who will find him to he an open-hand-ed, straight-forward, untiring, worthy leader of their affairs when he clears the small parochial management of public business out of the chambers and endues them with his spirit of progressiveness.—l am, etc., Win. F. CRAWFORD. Gisborne, February 13.

[lt is scarcely gracious on the part of Mr. Crawford, who invariably receives the utmost, bitutilise so enlruL'm MirP space in a violent and wholly unsubstantiated attack upon the conduct of this journal. Our correspondent is not ignorant of journalistic etiquette, and knows full well that he could make no more serious allegation against a reputable journal than to insinuate, as lie does, that- its poliev is dictated from the personal spleen of some individual. We feel sure that Mr. Crawford will already have regretted making use of the language he has written and will be glad of this opportunity to apologise for an insinuation which his better judgment will have already told him was unfounded and unjust.—Ed. “Gisborne Times.”]