Evening Post. THURSDAY, MAY 12, 1938. NOT CLASS CONSCIOUS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 110, 12 May 1938, Page 8

Evening Post. THURSDAY, MAY 12, 1938. NOT CLASS CONSCIOUS

The results of the local body elections throughout the Dominion yesterday, announced in "The Post" today, will, we believe, be received with general satisfaction by citizens as a~vmdication of the common sense of democracy when, called on to decide important issues affecting its future. The issue in'this instance was the intensified intrusion of party politics into jlocal affairs. The Labour Party /had made a definite bid for the control of local government as a complement to its control of, the national government. This bid has been just as definitely rejected b.y the electors, but without going so far as to reject the services of able past njembers of local bodies standing in the .name of Labour. The membership of .a local body should be representative of all classes of the community it serves, and not of one class only, and the effect of yesterday's poll has been in the main to preserve a fair balance of representation. In Wellington the -net result on the City Council is that Labour loses one seat, and it may be taken as a vote of confidence in the old council that eleven out of its fifteen members have beei} re-elected, The return of Mr. Hislop for his third term in the Mayoralty, with . a thumping majority, is not only a tribute to his past services, which have not been stinted, but an expression of confidence in his ability to guide the city through the next three years, which will include -the onerous duties of the Centenary celebrations. The other local bodies with which Wellington is directly concerned are the Hospital Board and the Harbour Board. On the former, four new members have been eleqted, strengthening the personnel, But the party position remains, unchanged. On the Harbour Board, Labour has lost* two the four seats., There are no very material chaiiges in the Hutt Valley bodies. In the three other main centres of JNew Zealand, Labour has lost control, of the Auckland and ■ Dunedin City Councils and the/ former Labour Mafor of Dunedin was defeated* At Christchurch, Labour gained more seats on the City Council and the Mayoralty. On the whole, as we have pointed out, ihe tendency throughout the Dominion has been - for the electors to check any party effort to secure decisive sontrol. The result of the elections may also be construed as an indication that citizens are generally satisfied with the management of their local affairs and do riot desire violent changes. There are no landslides such as occurred at the last General Election'.

The Wellington local bodies open their new term of office with experienced leaders and a majority of experienced members ? with a sufficient proportion of new blood and new ideas to make an ideal combination. At the same time, they cannot afford to assume that because the electors have rejected a policy of change a policy of progress is not demanded. Thev task before the City Council, for instance, in the coming three years will be heavy and responsible'if the community is to cope successfully with the internal pressure of expansion, the growing pains of a city working towards its destiny as the Capital City of the Dominion and chief political and commercial centre. Housing will be

the first consideration, and we are glad to see the Mayor is taking steps already to facilitate the rapid development of housing accommodation on sound lines. Any scheme, however, must include town-planhing on recognised, principles as its guide. Wellington as it is today cries aloud for proper planning before it is too late. The whole Te Aro flat area is in a state of change which must

be controlled unless the progress of • the city is to be - impeded at the centre. There is no need for hasty action, but rather for a long-range plan which would fix the lines of Wellington's development in such a way that posterity would have no call to be ashamed of the planners. Transport also calls for attention with of the best

modes to follow in, the future. A

mistaken policy might land the city with a burden of unproductive expenditure. With transport goes also the question of suburban development, which in the past has been somewhat liaphazard in several localities. There is ample opportunity for planning also in this field. The Centenary celebrations, now not much more than a year ahead, will present many problems, not the least of which will be the accommodation of visitors and transport facilities. In addition, the city has already its sewerage scheme and the question of tepid baths. TUe' new Hospital Board has also its task in making a decision in regard to the expansion of the hospital. Whatever plan is chosen, the board's hands will be full for the next three years. With the Harbour Board the main questions are work on the waterfront and the provision of facilities for airport] services. It will thus be seen that there is an exceptionally busy time ahead of Wellington's local bodies, and they will need all the good will and support of the community in the tasks they arc now to face. In its bearing upon national politics, the election in Wellington provides an object lesson that should not be overlooked. The people do not want class politics in local

government and in national government they are also likely to correct the so-called "mandate" given, mainly as a result of the depression, in 1935. But for this to be done there must be, as there has been in Wellington, a determined and wellorganised effort to secure the registration of the real wishes of the people. The Wellington Citizens' campaign met organisation with organisation. This must be done in national politics, too.,