Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE THURSDAY, APRIL* 30th., 1925. MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 April 1925, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE THURSDAY, APRIL* 30th., 1925. MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Our morning‘ contemporary indulges in hysteria regarding the result of yesterday’s polluig -for the Grev Power Board, but it is doubtful if anybody else is much concerned. The victory is one for persons rather than for policies, as at this stage, it. is very unlikely that any serious reversal of policy can take place.v The smallness of tlie poll is proof that borough residents were' not milch interested, and whilst tljis apathy'is to be regretted, it was" understandable under the. circumstances. The issue- was not. .one for. keen partisanship, as few possess sufficient technical'knowledge to make them qualified to do more than express individual opinion.’ The new members of the Board have

... y ,;.r r ./r- .j io£ so far given proof that they know more about eleetrjcity than those they' have displaced, and it is to be hoped' that they now let ' controversies, cease, ■ work amicably with the excellent Engineer (Mt. 'Lyfhgoe)”Hie late Board was fotfuriate’ ehough'" to seeurb,' aild striye'only for fb'e sufiebss/of jtlie.Bpaid’s' venture. TJie electors ’ decision ’ will? doubtless be accepted with’ good grace by the defcAted t candidates, but it would be churlish not' 'to■ express the community’s thanks"to Air. H. B, Doogan? for ’ the‘‘seiyices he rendered during the' Board’s initial stages. He gave much time and , consideration to the project, and if he and Kis colleagues made mistakes, there was also much'to their credit.’ There is, at pies'ent no question of hydro v; steam, whatever developments future years may bring, arid the new Board Will fail in its duty if it Wastes' time and effort. on Syliat is’ agreed to be impracticable, lor the tiffie' being. The pollingf in otheV districts was of genera! interest,' particularly at, Christchurch, where Labourites made strong 'efforts to obtain control. Mr. Archer, as was generally 1 expected, " ■won the Mayoralty, -through Labour’s opponents splitting forces, a lesson again given to throughout tile Dominion wild so obviously’ need it. ]\lr. Archer'has'many qualifications for his hew post, and should have a (successful terin, providing he reMis.es that his first duty is to the'city as a whole, and not to any one political section. Labour ' failed badly,' where \ jth.e City 'Council was concerned, only five of its candidates feeing elected, two of these owing more’to’.their personal popularity than to their Labour,. associations.,' ' ‘‘Freak’ ’ candidates ' met. with .a deserved fate. ’Wellington.■ Md' .a fight for; the mayoralty .'betweeh< the ? Citizens . Association . and Labour, with the latter being, rejected. Moreover, only two Ilabouriites were * returned ‘ to 'the' ‘ Council. A similar rout was experienced at 'Auckland and .at Dunedin. It is significant when all the largest industrial. centres reject Labourite's. Certainly; there" is little evidence yet' Supporting' the Labour'claims of ability' "to’ sweep the country ” at tlie next. general elections,. particularly,, as many who vote for Labour representatives at municipal elections, would vigorously oppose them in a Parliamentary Contest. It is well both for themselves and the nation that some " Labourites should acquire seats .on local bodies, as the experience -they thus obtain, tends to develop their sense of proportion, and corrects their pre-election /queer opinions. The real objection to them is their 'submission to niiritw outside organisations, which, use r them 'as inouthpieces. The country will now have a rest from electoral encounters until December next, but, meanwhile, it cannot be too much taken to heart fey all those who -do not want a Labour Ministry to control national destinies,' that the best, guarantee against this is co-operdtion among themselves. &