Suva’S Mayoral Chain

Childishness in Public Life in Public Lire

SUVA, July 28.

ANE of the silliest law cases in the his tory of the South Seas has just ter minated in Suva. Three former Council lors, Messrs. J. T. Johnson, J. Muir, and Dr. I. H. Beattie, have been ordered to pay £l3/10/- to the new Town Board, being the value of a mayoral chain which the council presented to the retiring mayor, Mr. Alport Barker.

The Town Council of Suva (elective)

was abolished last year, and on January 1 its place was taken by the Suva Town Board (nominative). The change was opposed strongly by the mayor (Mr. Al port Barker) and a section of the council.

On December 30, 1935, the three coun cillors named attended the last meeting °f f be pouncil, and it was resolved that th . e reti ring mayor should be presented 'vith the chain of his office—a kind of sentimental gesture made on a notable occasion, The Town Board’s auditors regarded the expenditure as “unauthorised,” and re fused to certify the accounts ' ‘ ,

It obviously was a matter easy of adjust ment: yet it was not adjusted, and finally the auditors, acting automatically under the law, sued the councillors who had passed the expenditure, and obtained judgment against them.

The case has received a great deal of publicity, in which none of the parties concerned appears in a creditable light.

The whole silly business, of course, is a reflection of the bad feeling engendered by the abolition of the elective council and the substitution therefor of the nomi native board. If this incident throws a true light upon the intelligence and busi ness capacity of the late lamented council, one can only say that it was a very good

thing- it was abolished.

R.W.R.