THE COMING ELECTIONS.

Evening Star, Issue 22892, 25 February 1938, Page 8

THE COMING ELECTIONS.

Last night the results of the voting to choose the Labour Party’s candidates for the forthcoming local body elections wore announced. The method of making the choice will probably bo approved by the workers, for each member of any organisation affiliated with the Labour Party was entitled to take part in the selection. This is reasonable so far as it goes, A question that naturally arises in the minds of many people is as to why party politics should he intruded: in these contests at all, Labour or non-Labour. As it now stands, the Corporation of Dunedin is a huge business undertaking. The same thing may be said of the Harbour Board and also to a smaller extent of the Hospital Board. In these circumstances it would naturally be thought, with such great financial considerations and commitments involved, that the ratepayers would place their reliance on men of proved business ability. That will probably be done at the polls next month, for there is no doubt that the financial policy pursued by the Labour majority in the City Council has given rise to much apprehension and dissatisfaction. That the acts of councillors are being followed keenly was manifested in the recent outburst over the hose-tap regulation, and the resentment that it occasioned has by no means died down. There is a marked difference between the parliamentary and the City Council elections. In the latter case a direct financial responsibility is thrown on the ratepayers, a very large proportion of whom are workers, and they do not view with equanimity the diversion of funds to objects the provision of which is the plain duty of the Government. It will be noted that the Rev. E. T. Cox is Labour’s choice for the mayoralty, he being preferred to Mr Mark Silverstone and Dr D. G. M’Millan, who were also nominated. Mr Cox is asking for a third term in succession, a request that has never before been granted. The general opinion up to this has been that if the honour is accorded to a citizen on two successive occasions it is only fair that some councillor with a good record of service should succeed l him. It will be remembered that Mr R. S. Black asked for a third term, but the answer was in the negative. Mr H. S. Fish, it is true, was mayor for five years in the days when the election was an annual one, but they were divided by a long interval—lß7o to 1873 and 1893 to 1895. If Mr Cox is returned at the coming election he will have enjoyed the confidence of the citizens for eight years, while other hard-working councillors are left out in the cold. In perusing the lists selected for the three bodies it will be noted that there is a certain amount of duplication. For instance, Mr M. Silverstone, Mr J. W. Munro, M.P., Mr R. Harrison, and Mr B. O’Donnell are chosen to stand for two bodies, and Mr R. Walls for three. This would suggest a poverty of material. Surely that cannot be the case. There must be in the ranks of the Labour Party many young and aspiring men who would be glad te serve their apprenticeship in local politics. The Hon. F. Jones, who retired from the City Council some time ago, is on none of the lists, but a thoroughly bad practice is perpetuated in the cases of Dr M’Millan, Mr Munro, and the Hon. M, Connelly. It is fair neither te the city nor to individuals who desire to offer their services in local body politics that members of the Legislature, with divided duties, should block others’ ambitions in the way they are doing. These are all matters to which the ratepayers should give the most careful consideration. There is a marked tendency at the moment to be lavish with public expenditure. If that is carried 100 far it needs no prophet to indicate the result. It will be made manifest by the demands on the pockets of the 1 ratepayers.