The Dominion WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1925. THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 153, 25 March 1925, Page 8

The Dominion WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1925. THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

The announcement yesterday of the retirement of Mr. G. Mitchell from the contest for the Mayoralty of the city is a matter of some moment to citizens. Mr. Mitchell was the candidate for the Mayoial office selected by the Civic League as best entitled to the confidence of electors. It is quite probable that had he gone to the poll he would have been elected. ’ Circumstances, however, have prevented Mr. Mitchell from continuing his candidature. To have gone on with it would have involved a business sacrifice which his friends and the executive of.> the Civic League felt they were not justified in asking him to make. Mr. Mitchell has been extremely active in public affairs here during the past few years, and his activities are by no means ended, but the Mayoralty would involve so large a demand on his time that he could not face taking over the office in conjunction with his new business responsibilities. No one, we venture to think, will accuse Mi. Mitchell of Lick of public spirit or of unwillingness to make sacrifice ot his time and energy in the service of the community. He has demonstrated beyond question that he does not shirk such obligations. J hus while his retirement from the Mayoralty contest will be legretted the attitude he has taken up must command respect and approval. The situation in regard to the Mayoralty contest is made clearer in one respect by Mr. Mitchell’s withdrawal. With only two candidates in the field there would be a straight-out fight between the Labour-Socialist nominee (Mr. C. H. Chapman) and a cmzens candidate (Mr. T. W. Forsyth). It is unfortunate, however, that Mr. Forsyth up to the present has shown a tendency to discourage that investigation of municipal administration which a great many people recognise to be highly desirable. In connection with the proposed heavy borrowing for road improvement work, for instance, Councillor Forsyth apparently is well content to take it for granted that the city engineer's plans are so perfect that they cannot be improved on. As chairman of the Works Committee Councillor Forsyth presumably can claim to be specially qualified to express an opinion regarding the proposed plans, but it must be confessed that anything he has had to say on the subject up to the present time has been far from convincing. Even assuming, however, that be himself is satisfied that anything the city engineer has to recommend regarding the city roading improvement scheme should be sufficient to justify the carrying out of the costly plans proposed, surely on a large question of this kind, in which so much of an experimental nature is involved, it is not too much to ask him to lend his support to the demand for an independent expert investigation of the scheme. It is true that Councillor Forsyth has not yet announced his policy as a Mayoral candidate and maybe wk.cn he does take the electors into his confidence it will be found that he recognises the right of citizens to the fullestpossible investigation before the city is committed to a roading scheme involving such heavy liabilities now and in the future. It is most necessary, too, that in connection with the coming municipal elections a pledge should be secured from candidates for the City Council regarding the question of a complete overhaul of the business organisation of the municipal departments and of the administration generally. Last year a Committee of Investigation from within the Council found many weaknesses to exist and made a number of recommendations for improving matters, some ot which were carried into effect. It is quite obvious, however, that a great deal more remains to be done. _ Only a day or two ago, one of the members of the City Council reviewing his two years of office commented strongly on the necessity for placing the Council on a sounder business' basis of organisation, a view so widely held that there should be no hesitation on the part of candidates to pledge themselves to sec that the necessary reforms are initiated. In the meantime citizens will no doubt find it advisable to maintain open minds as to the candidates most deserving of their support.