Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1926. WIG-WAG AND CHIN-WAG

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 November 1926, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1926. WIG-WAG AND CHIN-WAG

Greymoutli Borougli Councillors waxed merry on Thursday evening over the vagaries of the railway wig-wag signal at : the Tainui Street crossing, and it must be agreed that this particular danger-warning is not calculated to arouse public enthusiasm. The Councillors did not over-state the case, .and good may come from their proposed correspondence with the Railways De-

partment on the subject. Were the railway officials in turn, to hold a discussion on the methods of Borough Councillors, they could repeat the criticisms passed on the wig-wag, because the conduct of Councillors and wig-wag, when on duty as such, is extraordinarily paralleled. One Councillor referring to the wig-wag said, “The thing was wigging and wagging there for an hour to-night, and there was no train near it! ” The railwayment could retort that the Councillors were wagging (their tongues) for hours, with little business as the result. Cr. Kitchingham made a protest against the waste of time, but such protests have been made before, and the remedy is not yet. Cr. McGinley revived another familiar friend in his complaint that the Councillors ignore their own resolutions, but such ' inconsistency does not trouble them. Greymouth is improving, but it has not yet reached a, standard of administrative excellence that its Councillors can afford to sit back, and merely talk. A little more action and less verbosity at Council meetings would be beneficial to townsmen and Councillors alike. Referring all sorts of things to this or that Committee does not make for progress, especially if that, in practice, means shelving the particular issue. The Council’s own employees should be better supported. For instance, the Traffic Inspector made allegations of speeding against local motor bus drivers, and declared that the Council’s requests to them are being ignored. No action was taken. Complaints against taxi-drivers were referred to the Traffic Committee; meanwhile, the taxi-drivers probably remain calm. The Councillors ought to display more courage and more decision. They have been given authority by the townsmen, and should not let themselves be flouted. Such weakness has always been a handicap to the town’s progress, and the Councillors should insist on being taken more seriously. Townsmen, too, must show more interest in civic affairs, if they wish their representatives to be “silent strong men.” The revival of the Chamber of Commerce, and the institution of a Progress League ought to be influences for good in this direction, and the Ratepayers’ Association—if it still exists—might reassert itself. Next April, the municipal elections are due, and it is I not too early for citizens to begin to make enquiries about prospective candidates for civic honours. A little new blood on the Council would do no harm, as there are signs of administrative “staleness” on the part of some of the present members. The community is not

well served by those whef merely stand and wait, instead of trying to accomplish something, and it is not real economy to “save the expense of an election,” if thereby good men and capable are excluded, or volunteer to withdraw. To be a really efficient Borough Councillor, means great sacrifice of time and attention, and unless those who accept office are determined to give of their best throughout their term, they would be rendering the town greater service by not taking on a task they cannot adequately perform.