UNFAIR AND UNWISE

Year
1880
Month
4
Day
19
Article Title
UNFAIR AND UNWISE
Page Number
2
Article Type
Language
Article Contents
The Daily Times MONCTON, MONDAY, APRIL 19, 1880. Willis brought up the payment of $100 to Girouard for presenting an address to the Marquis and Princess at Moncton. Landry offered the following explanation; Girouard asked him if the Government would pay for the French address, and he answered no. Then Girouard urged decorations to be made and he gave him charge of them, giving $100 towards the cost. Killam said several persons who worked on the decorations told him that Girouard kept the money. Landry said he knew nothing about that. The above appears in the legislative summary of the Sun of Saturday. It is, we are some; very unfair to. Mr. Girouard, who worked hard to make the demonstration a success and spent not only all he received from the Government but used also his own money freely. – And we do not see why so much ado should be made about a hundred dollar affair at Moncton, when thousands were spent at other points without hesitation and with far less satisfaction to anybody that was given here. It was not a local demonstration, like that at Sussex, but Provincial, and afforded the only opportunity the French Acadians had to pay their respects to the distinguished visitors. If it was right for the Government to spend tens of thousands of dollars to enable the English speaking people of New Brunswick to show due honor to His Excellency and the Princess, very, little ought to be said about a donation of $100 to aid the French of the province to do the same; particularly as they could not well share in the larger demonstration. The people will thank the members if they will “dry up” on this whole subject of Vice – Regal Expenditures, and instead of wasting time and money dissecting dead horses, turn their attention to questions of practical economy. Energy directed towards preventing extravagance and waste in the future will be much more useful than that expended in growling over the mistakes and follies of the past. The Governor (if he reads the newspapers) will not be likely to visit us very frequently, but there is a strong possibility that railway schemers will put in an appearance, early and often, and these are the kinds of people the legislature should show a disposition to effectually snub.