Widnes Examiner. — 1900-12-21 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

THE EXAMINER' FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21 1900.  contracts which the Warrington Slate Company had with the Warrington C nporation, but vett have not been informed whether or not during the last five years he has been benefittrd by the business of the Warrington Slate Company with the Corporation. and if so to what extent P Ido not mean to insinuate that in doing so there would be anything illegal. People seem to think that during the laic five years when he was director of the Slate Company, that Company did a very large amount of business with the Corporation. We a ish to ' give the Mayor credit for any sacrifice he may have made and therefore we trust that be will make this definitely, clearly, and unmistakably known. I am told that the Borough auditors finished auditing the accounts at the end of July last and handed to the Finance Committee a report ad !reasect to the ratepayers, in which they mention the fact that a proportion of the cost of the Poll, for obtaining the Corporation Bill was paid out of the Walker Gift Fund. I also und r, stand that they expressed disapproval of the w y in which the Middleton trust had ben) dealt with, and also called attention to the ea' travagant expenditure on deputations and other matters. Why has this not ib ,en puLli.hed P We have been told that if we are not satisfied with the proceedings of the C;uncil, wo*ought to tend other men, but for two years, et a meat inopportune time, when so many ratepayers weru dissaciafied ibith the proaeedings of the Corporatio I, by an azreernent of the two political parties we have been practically disfranchised. and come of those who were con .ernid in that agrelrnent were members of the Council. Then again the indifference of a great number of ratepayers to public business, compared with their interest in objects which more immediately concern themselves, frecpectly enables men who have little regard for the public, or who may hive an axe to grind, to obtain positions that would be, better filled by other men. England once had a king who obtained his crown by murder, infamy, and crime. It will not do to assume that because a man occupies a certain pnsitien, that he is better or wiser than other men, or more respected and esteemed, for there are other influences at work into which I need not enter. This assumption seerna to have been the basis cf many actions of the Corporation. The career .of the notorieua Jabez Balfour and his election to Parliament is quite sufficient proof of what I have said. Pride, gain, ambition, lure the selfish heart ;  The beat. too often, take a humble part.  Very often it is not because a man possesses gool understanding and is unorrjudiced or has a keen insight into human nature and conduct and a stroen, sense sof justice, that be is male a magistrate but for ocher less suitable qualifications. Sometimes because he is a worshipper of that heartless, f)r —al o'd GAdess Mrs. Grundy, and has never cared to assist the right, or to condemn tbe wrong. Ido not wish to be unjust or to offend any member of the Council, but only criticise their collective action and public remarks. Why should private individuals have to point out and complain of shortcomings and irregularities ? It is not a pleasant task. Why must it fall on them ? Some people may say they need not do it, bw, if human conditions are to be improved it must be done. It is every one's duty at times to protect tne blind and maimed and the public,as oircumstances and ability enable them, and we csnnot always without degradation quietly submit to insult and injustice It is not two years since the Warrington Corporation, that has not publielled the airlitors' report was censured by a Committee of the House of Cmomons. —Yours &c.. Warrington, December 18th, 1900.  S.