to the town,
and in view of the existing distress he would be glad to see the work
started, but the price mentioned was altogether too low. It was not
more than half the value of the land. (Derisive laughter.)

Councillor Grinder said he was astonished at the attitude taken up by
Councillor Weakling. In his (Grinder's) opinion it was disgraceful
that a member of the council should deliberately try to wreck a project
which would do so much towards relieving the unemployed.

The Mayor, Alderman Sweater, said that he could not allow the amendment
to be discussed until it was seconded: if there were no seconder he
would put the original motion.

There was no seconder, because everyone except Weakling was in favour
of the resolution, which was carried amid loud cheers, and the
representatives of the ratepayers proceeded to the consideration of the
next business.

Councillor Didlum proposed that the duty on all coal brought into the
borough be raised from two shillings to three shillings per ton.

Councillor Rushton seconded. The largest consumer of coal was the Gas
Coy., and, considering the great profits made by that company, they
were quite justified in increasing the duty to the highest figure the
Act permitted.

After a feeble protest from Weakling, who said it would only increase
the price of gas and coal without interfering with the profits of the
Gas Coy., this was also carried, and after some other business had been
transacted, the Band dispersed.

That meeting was held two years ago, and since that time the Electric
Light Works had been built and the war against the gasworks carried on
vigorously. After several encounters, in which they lost a few
customers and a portion of the public lighting, the Gasworks Bandits
retreated out of the town and entrenched themselves in a strong
position beyond the borough boundary, where they erected a number of
gasometers. They were thus enabled to pour gas into the town at long
range without having to pay the coal dues.

This masterly stratagem created something like a panic in the ranks of
the Forty Thieves. At the end of two years they found themselves
exhausted with the protracted campaign, their movements hampered by a
lot of worn-out plant and antiquated machinery, and harassed on every
side by the lower charges of the Gas Coy. They were reluctantly
constrained to admit that the attempt to undermine the Gasworks was a
melancholy failure, and that the Mugsbor