The Dominion. THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 1935. MIXING POLITICS AND DUSTBINS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 167, 11 April 1935, Page 6

The Dominion. THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 1935. MIXING POLITICS AND DUSTBINS

“Labour stands for the efficient control of the affairs of the city, says the Wellington Labour Representation Committee in statement of policy for the local body elections’and proceeds to item se a programme which might be that of any candidate for the City Council. Labour, that is to say. when it can bring its mind to bear on municipal affairs, is shown to have for the most part emine y sensible notions. What a pity, therefore that it persistently dra s in national party politics, and seems unable for two minutes on end to concentrate on municipal needs. “The Labour Party, ' ve told, “will continue to fight nationally for the defeat of the Government.” Of course it will; a poor sort of Opposition that wouldnt, and fight the harder the more forlorn its hope. But what on earth has that to do with the business of governing Wellington city-f-with sewers, and trams, and water-carts? It sounds grandiloquent to say, “The issue is as clear locally as it is nationally. . . - Labour against all the anti-Labour forces”', but it means exactly nothing. lie issue is just as “clearly” between fat people and lean people, between those whose houses have odd numbers and those on the opposite side of the street whose houses have even numbers. ' To make a clear issue there would have to be (if we may accept Labour’s own statement of policy) some candidate or group of candidates standing for inefficient control of the affairs of the city; careless. scrutiny and administration of the city’s finances ; unfair and inequitable apportionment of funds; spoliation and destruction of parks. Which, as our geometry books used to say, is absurd.' Equally absurd is all this talk of a link between national politics and local administration. There is none. When the stormwater drainage becomes blocked, the City Council does not introduce a Bill and propose to ask for urgency for the second reading next sitting day. Instead, the chan man o the Works Committee puts on an oilskin and a sou -wester and goes out to see what can be done about it. Io their credit, Labour councillors often lend him a hand, revealing that they are at heait conscientious citizens. That should be one of the two tests of a candidate’s claim to support in a local election; ability the other, ability to clear the mind of all party political tosh and bring one s powers to bear undividedly upon practical questions affecting the welfare of the citizens. A man who happens to be a bowler or a Forester or a teacup reader does not aspire to be elected to the Harbour Board on that account, or, having been elected, does not devote his life to advocating improved handling of tea cargoes and. reclamation works to provide bowling greens. He gets on with the job. Some Labour candidates for local office are well-informed and well-meaning men, and as sucn could expect support if only they, too, would stick to the job. But the public is getting heartily sick of being fed with’ political propaganda, and bored with high faintin’ speeches, when all it wants is a barrow-load of .bitumen in the hole at the corner of the road and a new bulb in the lamp at the gate.