The Press Friday, March 28, 1930. The Municipal By-Election.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19889, 28 March 1930, Page 12

The Press Friday, March 28, 1930. The Municipal By-Election.

In addressing his large meeting in the Chamber of Commerce rooms last night, Mr Jones took his stand on the plain, sane principles that citizens will welcome and support. There are thousands of voters in Christchurch, the solid foundation of its strength as a community, who know what they want in municipal government, and Mr Jones has strengthened their confidence in him by the level, unpretentious statement in which he ranged himself with them. They want the City's business to be in the hands, not of Party politicians, who make it their boast that they are Party politicians first and the City's representatives second, but in those of politically distinterested, capable men of affairs. They want to be assured that all municipal questions will be decided as the interests of ratepayers and the whole body of citizens demand, and not in accordance with the pre-judgments of a political Party's creed. They will find it entirely in Mr Jones's favour that he appeals to the community as "an everyday business man," no professional politician, but an opponent of politics in municipal affairs, which the Socialists have steadily sought to make a political battleground. If Mr Jones had said no more than that he opposed Socialism, as he said with clear emphasis, they would have known where their votes were due; but he said a great deal more to ensure their being given readily and confidently. They are aware that thrift, private enterprise, and economy in public expenditure never needed to be advocated and worked for as they must be now; and Mr Jones's neat phrase—"every "shilling well spent and well earned" —is a statement in little of the policy that embraces that need. In this and in his whole address Mr Jones placed before citizens the simple issue they are to decide. Those who are satisfied with Socialism, rash, experimental, and costly, will decide against Mr Jones; those who are dissatisfied will decide for him and register with their votes their strong desire for a change. It is no use, as he said, to desire a change and approve the candidate who will help to bring it, without working for it and voting for it. The test of sincerity in public opinion against the present Labour domination is its resolution to vote it out.