The Evening Star THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 1922.

Evening Star, Issue 17954, 27 April 1922, Page 6

The Evening Star THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 1922.

It is bow within a tow days of a year since tho present Mayor Thß of Dunedin was installed. FiSh-Markat As soon ns ho had, been Myth. invested with tho mayoral robes Just then doffed by Jlr Begg and ascended tho municipal throne, Mr Douglas spoke some bravo words. Among them were these: “ Reverting to municipal matters, probably tho following questions, which may bo termed essentials, will require early consideration and a definite policy decided upon:—-An efficient water supply j the utmost development of hydro-electric energy; the establishment of city markets; the extension of our tram services; the provision of healthy surroundings, which also embodies a proper scheme for the housing of tho people.” Half of Mr Douglas’s term of oflico has now expired. Aro wo any further advanced towards any of these essentials? Tho Waipori extensions are in hand; but they are iohg overdue through having to be postponed from a preceding mayor’s term of office. There is no need to remind ratepayers about the state of the water supply. There have been no tram-v,-ay extensions since tho electric system n wa» installed twenty years ago,- Merd-

'fully, tlie City Corporation has been content with the laurels it Avon some time ago over its egregious housing experiment. There remains tho matter of city markets. We affirm that absolutely nothing has been done. Officialdom will probably reply that a great deal has been done. It may be noticed that Mr Douglas on May 4, 1921, did not promise, or oven advocate, that city markets or any of tho other essentials should bo secured. What ho said was that a definite policy must be decided on concerning them. That is the fatal difference in tho viewpoint of tho city councillor and tho practical man. The latter wouldi consider himself a failure if, after having sot ont to provide markets, he did not do so; tho former is apt to plume himself on having accomplished a great deal if committees have discussed tho matter and trips to Wellington to interview Ministers and Hoards of Trade have been made. Tho difference is one between words and deeds. To do Mr Douglas bare justice, ho did for a while bestir himself about the city’s fish supply and a municipal fish market. The not result was disclosed last week by a deputation which waited on tho Hon. (I. ,1. Anderson at Port Chalmers. Mr Douglas Is understood to have brought pressure to bear on the Railway Department'' to provide landing facilities for the Port Chalmers fishermen so that hauls may bo discharged by four boats simultaneously instead of one. The department has done absolutely nothing—by which we mean that no additional landing stages have been provided, although, for all wo know, roams of correspondence on tins subject may have passed, Mr Anderson professed to bo greatly surprised; but he has surely been long enough associated with politics to hare got over any feeling of wonderment at the doings of tho various circumlocution offices with which our system of'self-government is plagued. If Mr Douglas has ambitions to penetrate further into tho councils of the nation, lie has hero a chance to prove his usefulness and worth. But let him first sit down and consider how a mayor like tho late 'Mill. fc>. Pish would have set out to get what is wanted and how he would l have kept going until it really materialised.