DEMOCRATIC SINCERITY

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 24, 29 January 1935, Page 8

DEMOCRATIC SINCERITY

■'■ Discussion of Petone-Lower Hutt amalgamation at the meeting of the Petohej Borough Council last evening indicated thai there is some common ground and some debatable ground. Common ground is that the electors 'should/decide _ (this is conceded by everybody in ' principle, if -not in practice) and. that, to quote the Mayor of Petone, "the electors have the necessary powers to determine by ballot vote" the question of amalga-mation-not only as between the two boroughs but as between them and the Gas Board. The ground which is debated is very wide, and centres in the, question whether there is such a disparity between' ',the financial positions of the two boroughs-as to create', financial disadvantages to Petone outweighing' ' the ' many material and moral advantages of amalgamation. Some - councillors have a variety of arguments against the coming together of the two boroughs, but a prior point arises in that there does not seem to be one councillor who questions that in principle the electors should decide. Why, then, not use, at-the coming municipal elections, the' ballot machinery which the Mayor of Petone stresses? In .other words, why, riot, "trust the people"?' Is 'gpvernment "of the people, ■ for the people," afraid .'to use the machinery for. government'"by the people"? Here are a* number of councillors1 tvKo, -Jfor , their own existence as councillors,/ bow the knee, to the popular vote. They would go to the electors for their own personal mandate, yet will not allow the electors to "answer the vital question of local government prescribed by law. I' If a .councillor who is prepared to I trust the electors .. with his • own official life, but not with the answering of the amalgamation question, were to stand up boldly and say that the electors are too ignorant to vote on amalgamation, then he would show some personal courage and his position would be at least understandable, 'though one might not agree with it. If some courageous and ( candid councillor' exists who does pity the Petone electors' ignorance on the subject of amalgamation, then the proper course for him to adopt is not to prevent the electors i from voting on amalgamation, but : to enlighten their 'ignorance and show them' why they should vote against this horrible thing called amalgamation. Let his light, so shine before them that the Petone elector'will he able to stand up and see with-vision. That would be a logical course for an anti-amalga-mation councillor to take. But to deprive the electors of their ballot, while paying lip-service lo "trust the people," seems to be the wrong sort of behaviour to expect to find in such a democratic community as Petone. The no-ballot altitude represents a divorce between principle and practice. If the anti-amalgama-tionists are so sure of their case, they should welcome an electoral campaign on that dominant issue, not run away from it.