MANAWATU DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 1919. THE COMING ELECTIONS.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 14190, 26 April 1919, Page 4

MANAWATU DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 1919. THE COMING ELECTIONS.

We emphasised yesterday that the municipal linances were not in a sound condition, and we explained the circumstance that largely owing to the weakness of the Borough Council and the overtaxing 'of the Mayor with the multifarious duties cast upon him by the war, the administration had been defective. The overdraft, has mounted with extraordinary rapidity and the council is practically at the end of its resources for the ordinary purposes of administration. If a private business showed this result the shareholders would be justified in strengthening the directorate, and that is what the electors in their own interests are nowcalled upon to do. It will be contended, and rightly contended, that a large amount of recent indebtedness has been incurred because of the increase in the price of labour and commodities, and because of exceptional calls upon tho municipal pur.se. The drift has been

perceptible for some time, and could, and would liave been guarded against if the Mayor, councillors* and executive had been in closer touch with the business side of the administration, j What we complain of, and what the residents of l'ulmerston must keep in mind is, that the method of control has been weak. There are evidences on every hand of a hand-to-mouth policy. Thcro has been a lack of system, and an almost complete absence of planning ahead. Some of the methods employed in street repairs and maintenance, for instance, have been primitive, and little or no attempt has been made to institute modern labour-saving devices. Councillors arc not to blame for this. They have done their best according to their lights. Councillor Crabb and one or two others have attempted to initiate members, but it is only with difficulty that minor alterations in existing methods havo been brought about. The majority of the councillors have been content Lo endorse the Mayor's decisions, and, as we say, Mr Nash has been taxed to the limit of endurance, and has to rely very largely on his executive officers for the results; which arc as we find them. The necessity for strengthening the council, and the introduction of stricter methods having been demonstrated, the alternative is, as we say, to strengthen the council and to decentralise the active control. The effective way to do this is to select a team of business mon. Luckily, this has been made possible by the fact that some of our most capable citizens have placed their services at the disposal of the constituency. Of the old councillors whose services we think ought to be retained, we endorse the candidature of Messrs Crabb, Graham, Spooner and Broad. These gentlemen have demonstrated their capacity, and can be relied upon to render further effective service, provided that they are reinforced by men of equal capacity. For this purpose we have no hesitation in submitting the following names: Messrs T. R. Hodder, M. A. Eliott, J. Wallace and S. R. Lancaster. These are men of proved capacity in various walks of life, and they have taken an earnest interest in progressive and patriotic movements from time to time. Labour should certainly have a representative. Of the Labour representatives standing, Mr Hodgens appears the most eligible. He has a great deal of native capacity and lacks only the restraint which will probably follow upon responsibility. With the work of the borough wisely distributed in these hands, the electors could look with confidence for better results than the old councillors have shown. If the voters will strike out all the names of those save Messrs Crabb, Ppooner, Graham, Broad, Hoddcr, Eliott, Lancaster, Wallaee_ and Hodgens they will, we arc satisfied, have"" made a commendable choice.