Municipalities and General Politics.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16206, 8 May 1918, Page 6

Municipalities and General Politics.

We do not at all agree with the view | fhat it is part of the duty of the City j Council to express an opinion on such | questions as the pay and allowances of Socond Division Reservists. The Mayor and Councillors were not elected for the purpose of oppressing views on the general government of the country, Uut because they were thought to be qualified to look after the good government of the city—its finances, the maintenance of its public works, and eo forth. Their opinions on such questions as the pay and allowances of reservists aro of no more valuo than the opinions of tho first dozen men whom one may moot at haphazard in Hereford street or Cashel street on any fine day. We venture to say that not onehalf of the Councillors who expressed their opinions so glibly on this subject on Monday night could say what the pay and allowances of Second Division reservists actually amount to if they were suddenly askod the question. The reasons why members of ■ municipal bodies aro so fond of dealing with questions outside their proper sphere are farly manifest. Some of them are prospective candidates for Parliament who are using the municipality as a kind of training ground, and naturally like to adopt this method of keeping themselves before the public eye. Others, not actually intending to stand for Parliament, have a human weakness for publicity, and havo found that discussions on these general subjects aro more fully reported than thoso which deal with roads and drains, and the usual humdrum, but exceedingly valuable, work of a Borough or City Council. Some, no doubt, aro moved by a genuine interest in the questions raised, and do not stop to reflect that they are going outsido their "metier."

| Whatever may be the reasons for embarking on such discussions, the tendency is a bad one, and ought to bo stopped. The time and attention frittered away on these questions would be much botter omployed on the more mundane matters which the local body was elected to look after. An even more serious objoction is the fact that the practico of local bodies posing as authorities on matters of general politics leads to the introduction of general party politics into our municipal life. The result is that eloctions aro fought on party grounds, and candidates are put up for election because they are Socialists or anti-conscription-ists, or arc opposed to such "ists'' and "isms," whereas the sole test by which the ratepayers ought to judge is as to their business and other qualifications for carrying out the practical works which local bodies are charged to administer, and which are ever growing in complexity and importance. There may be rare occasions when the public are. greatly moved on some great national question, when it is desirable for local bodies to put their views on record, such as for example the determination to fight out the war to a finish, but such occasions aro very rare, and should be only very sparingly used. For local bodies to take a hand in local party politics, which Parliament has been elected to look after, seems to us to savour of impertinence.