The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1927. THE CITY ELECTIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 88, 14 April 1927, Page 6

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1927. THE CITY ELECTIONS.

For *A« cause Mat tacfci ai*wta*<*, For the wrong that need* reeietmnea. For the future in the dietanee, And the good thai *ee can do.

ll' there was any excitement in Auckland homes yesterday when the final nominations for the City Council elections were read, it was only a ripple. Indeed, it might be called a eat's-paw. It is true that a good deal of excitement about the Mayoral election is

working up, but there were no last minute surprises in the nominations. The list of candidates for the Council is not impressive. Retiring councillors, most of whom offer themselves for re-election, deserve the thanks of the community for the time and attention they have given to public affairs, but it would be flattery to say that the council, as a body, has inspired much confidence. Among the new candidates there are one or two who promise to be of more than average usefulness. The rest of the list has a look of mediocrity, and the voter will not find it easy to make a choice. At this early stage the voter may be offered one or two pieces of advice. He should ask himself whether certain old members of the council deserve re-election. He should avoid "tickets" of any kind, and as far as possible, vote for candidates on their individual merits. There is no need for party government in the City Council. Labour is making a bid to capture both the Mayoralty and the council, but as regards the council, not, we imagine, with any hope of success. We have long contended that a certain amount of direct representation of the wage-earner is a good thing, and we hope that there will continue to be a measure of this on the council. It is another matter, however, to put the Labour party, with its extravagant programme and strict political affiliations, in command of the council.

Of the four candidates for the Mayoralty, three have had years of experience on the council. Mr. Baildon, the retiring Mayor, is an old servant of the public. After years of service as a councillor, he succeeded to the Mayoralty two years ago, and has conducted the business of the council with reasonable ability and dignity. Frequent changes in the Mayoralty are not desirable. Mr. Baildon has held the position for two years, and it is fitting that his experience of office should be given to the city's business for another term. He has served an apprenticeship at a very difficult time and very sound reasons should be necessary if it is proposed to replace him. That these are to be found in any of the other candidates nominated, we do not believe,- and, in this view we expect the support of those whose primary interest is the welfare of their citv.

Mr. Bloodworth is a popular figure and by general consent a man of much more than average ability. His political connections however, are against him, though it is possible that, because of his popularity and because there is so little likelihood of Labour carrying the Council, he will gain the votes of some who do not agree with him in politics.

The case of Mr. J. A. Warnock is peculiar. After a long and obscure apprenticeship in local body affairs he was thrust into the limelight by a section of business men. To the deputation that asked him to stand as Mayor he said "yes," DU t fl t a later stage, when it was evident that by vote splitting a Labour Mayor was more than a possibility, the claims of Mr. Warnock were again under discussion by very largely the same body of men who banded together as a "Citizens' Progressive League." On this occasion we are informed that out of a meeting of 35, 30 were of opinion that Mr. Warnock should withdraw. The majority in this case showed common sense. But Mr. Warnock's appetite for -office having been whetted he was more inclined to listen to the minority, and the views of the big majority have been openly flouted. There appears to us in the whole proceedings to be a cjose analogy to the "bossism" of American local politics. To come to the qualifications of Mr. Warnock, they are very largely negative. He has kept a seat warm on the Grey Lynn Borough Council, and later the Auckland City Council, for almost a quarter of a century, and up till the past few months we do no recollect having heard his name as the author of any civic project, good, bad, or indifferent. If he has any claim to distinction in local affairs, it is perhaps best based on the fact that he was the complaisant chair-' man of the Parks Committee during the time that Sir James Gunson diverted to the Zoo some tens of thousands of pounds from the fund arising from the realisation of the Hobson Street Power House.

Mr. Schmidt is an outsider of considerable energy, but -with no other qualifications for the position.

With four candidates in the field, the issue is complicated, but in our opinion Mr. Baildon's claims arc clearly paramount. At this juncture there is no one who can render the city service.