The North Otago Times. THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 1917. THE MUNICIPAL ELECTION.

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13858, 19 April 1917, Page 4

The North Otago Times. THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 1917. THE MUNICIPAL ELECTION.

Nominations for' the honourable civic positions of mayor and councillors of the Borough of .Oamara closed yesterday, and if the number of aspirants for civic honours is any indication of the, interest which has been.aroused, by the biennial election, the prospects are most encouraging. There are three condidates for the mayoralty: Mr W. 11.-Frith,; the retiring mayor, Mr Robert Milligan, and Mr Walter E. Searle. Eighteen .nominations have been received for the twelve seats constituting the council. Ten retiring councillors are seeking, reelection, and 'eight'new candidates offer their services to the electors. Messrs P. W. Ongley and G. L. Grenfell are not seeking re-election, and we are sure the townspeople are deeply appreciative of the civic services rendered by'these, two gentlemen;; Now .'that the nominations are before .them, we trust the townspeople will for the moment tunn from those world-shaking and thrilling events of the Western Front which are engrossing the attention of the Empire, arid show for the moment their interest in; the affairs of the town. It would be anything but complimentary -to the gentlemen who have come for-' ward at the promptings of civic patriotism if the majority of the PQple maintained an indifference to the calls of civic duty. * Every one of our. townspeople' should make one firm resolve,' and keep :it; that is,'"to vote. The contest for the mayoralty—although a

'triangular. tight{-should arouse considerable interest, and we are sure the issues are of sufficient importance to merit the interest, if pot the enthusiasm'of every nteraJier- of,.the community. 'The

iree gentlemen who.are seeking

inoyoral honours are well-known to the people, and .need no introduction in l*espect .of their pergonal: acquaintance with.the'.; af-

fairs of the town.' Mr, Frith has Occupied the high office of mayor priouv years 4 - and 'seeks' 'another Tterni;-V -Mr- Robert: Milligan oc^ the mayoral chair f .for six; year's, and comes' forward again i .'to offer- his' services ;civic honours. .v';'^r-;|ewiej v ''^ljb,'l

has "six years' apprenticeship-as, Councillor to his, credit, solicits •mayoral honours. evening is still rnmX imaging among its fllesj before it-: takes '.up our challenge, took exception to Mr Frith's decision to seek re-election because,' it contended that- the mayoralty should .be considered a rolling office—the ne plus ultra,,.as it Avcre, of the civic ambition of every member of the council-.- Of course, precisely the same objection must be advanced against Mr Milligan's. candidature, which "our contemporary has so halfheartedly and timorously endorsed. In fact, we feel that Mr Frith-'and Mr Milligan, > who-be-tween them have occupied the mayoral'chair for ten ye,ars, arc displaying an illibcrality of civic spirit and a disregard for the inalienable rights of other members of the community,)which is as deplorable as it is inexplicable. Thus two candidates for the mayoralty having heldjlie highest civic honours for a term of-ten years desire further, rewards for their interest in the civic affairs of the town. Apart from this phase of the mayoral contest, we know that no little surprise has . been, expressed locally that Mr Milligan, who is surely enjoying his full share of public favour,"'is asking the people to add to his already heavy burden, the duties and responsibilities' of the mayoralty; ' If Mr Milligau had made, a notable success of his administration of the affairs of the.harbour,, we might be able to. appreciate his* desire to extend a measure of that success to the affairs of the town; But has Mr Milligau been, a success as chairman of the Harbour Board? We ask our townspeople to ponder seriously this highly pertinent question. It is not questioned that during Mr Milligan's tenure of chairmanship of the Harbour Board,' the Board's loans 'were consolidated, but we have not had it from Mr Milligan that he . claims to be entitled to all {he credit'for the success of those negotiations. On the contrary, Mr Milligan knows as well as we do that he is no more entitled to all the credit than we are. He knows, too, that although he has not given credit where credit is due, it would be crass presumption on his part to claim all the credit for the success of the loan negotiations, which could have been brought to a successful issue by any person blessed with enough intelligence to carry out a policy framed by the financial experts. The question the public would like our evening contemporary to answer' is how many thousands of golden sovereigns have been dropped into our harbour by the in Oamaru. Harbour ' Board,' under the chairmanship of Mr Milligan? This is matter of finance. Surely Mr Milligan remembers. The question is asked in all seriousness. Our contemporary is responsible for Mr Milligan's participation in the contest, and, seeing that it used another phase of harbour affairs to justify Mr Milligan's candidature it should not display such an amazing disinclination to discuss Mr Milligan's real administration of Harbour Board affairs, and more especially the fate of his own dredging scheme. In view of the installation of electricity, and (he carrying out of a scheme at a cost of something like £30,000, the people owe it 1 to themselves to. scrutinise very thoroughly the record of the successes and failures of the aspirants for mayoral favours, and we hope they' will turn the searchlight upon the inner history of our harbour. The candidature 6f Mr Searle deserves the consideration of the community. Six years' service as councillor entitle him to look with confidence for the interest and support of the progressive section of the community. Mr Searle is not carrying a heavy burden of public positions, and in addition to being able to devote the whole of his energies to the position, he has accepted nomination with an enthusiasm born of a strong confidence in the possibilities of marked progress being made by this borough. Neither Mr Frith nor Mr Milligan has a civic policy. They appear to be quite bankrupt of all expressed'ideas -of progress.- If' we may judge by their silence, we must conclude that : flie.one plank of their civic platform is an insatiable appetite for civic honours. Mr Searle has published a thoroughly progressive policy, and.we feel confident that the progressive electors of Oamaru.qan.be relied upon to give him their heartiest support, and we are quite convinced that "he' would fill the mayoral chair with. dignity . and conspicuous .; success. Again, we would impress upon the townspeople that civic advantages bring civic duties, and it js incumbent on all the. members of the community Jo become inter-1 ested in the elections which are set' clown for Wednesday, and to avail themselves of the.privileges and discharge their duty by casting their votes.

• r Th(?i Latliea' Hockoy. : Club'arc nssist--1 ing'at the' Returned Soldiers? Assbcintipn concert oil /Atixnc; night, AptU 2ijth, by- 'offcrihg-tb> inakeMip au<l sell all contributions of 'sweets 'that are. forthcoming,: during the concert, 'lt' 'is to be hoped there will be a generous response with the prospect,of the sales in the capable hands of the club ladies.

The, exporting cereals from Britain is now (forbidden except under special license. This, of course, hampers merchants in regard to cornflour, .semolina and suchlike foodstuffs that come, directly from edible grain, but it may be news to some that the prohibition is held to apply to cocoa, and we now hear that it inay cover mustard "and starch, This is getting far away from the derivative meaning of "cereals," which we take to be "corn," and there is no telling how far the interpretation will extend.- The prohibition may take all sorts of ramifications,

The cheap iish supply scheme which has been established with such success in Auckland by the municipality lia,s excited the envcy of sonle of the borough councils of towns on the Main Trunk line, where the price of meat is said to be very high, and through the Board of Trade a. tentative arrangement has -been-macle'for the supply of fish to the Borough of Taumaranui, to be distributed by the council without profit, If the scheme is found to work successfully it will be extended to any towns which can be supplied from the Main Trunk line. It is an tieipated that some kinds of fish can lie supplied .in Taumarariui at twopence per pound.

At the pianolo recital, which takes place at tho Wear Street Hall on Friday evening, the gross proceeds of the collection will be handed to the Bed Cross Society. The evening's entertainment will no doubt prove an enjoyable one for lovers of music, as in addition to hearing for the first time in Otago the pianola-piano, and the a?olian-vocalion, some excellent vocal and instrumental items will be rendered by well-known performers, who will be accompanied by Miss Aimee Piper, L.T.C.L. -Regarding the pianola-piano the celebrated "Maestra" Joachim says: "I consider your pianola with the metrostyle, an invention of the greatest importance to musical art, Not only does it play the notes correctly, but with the metrostyle interpretation hi given which is equal to that of an artist."

It is now some weeks since the Board of Trade began to be interested in the price of meat, and to take steps in some localities to limit the retail prices to the consumer. The State stops in Auckland are now ancient history, and they continue to carry on successfully. A modified scheme has been established in Mastcrton, by which all the butchers save one are being supplied from the Waingnwa works with meat which is purchased by (he Government for the Imperal au thorities, and the retailers are required to give an undertaking that certain maximum prices shall not be exceeded.In other towns—Nnpier, Hastings, and falmerston north—the board has fixed ,a schedule of prices by agreoment with, the local butchers, and Mho butchers have promised that these prices shall not be exceeded without reference to the board. It is reported that all the schemes are working satisfactorily.

A very fine ■ record of service stands to the credit of the family of Mr John Biniie, of O'Rorke street, liemuera, Auckland. Mr Biniie, who himself held a commission as major in the volunteers, had seven sons, One .was killed in action in France, four are at present on active service, and another leaves for the front shortly. The seventh son, Gordon Birnie. was called up tinder the ballot system. He appeared before the Military Service Board on Thursday, and his appeal was allowed on the ground that he was under'military age. His father stated that the lad was anxious to go to the front, but his parents were wishful that he should remain until he. came of military age. The lad took it as a slur that he should hnvc been drawn in the ballot. The Board congratulated Mr Bimio on his fine family record of service for the Empire, Mr G. Elliott said there were few families in New Zealand who had sent six sons to the war.

Thirty-one minor accidents (says tho Press) occurred on the Christchurch tramways during March, the details being collisions with motor-cars three, collisions with pedestrians four, alightcollisions with pedestrians four,, alighting from moving caiß sixteen, and accidents to employees three. The reports in connection with those accidents involved n good deal of work. ,When this report was presented at Monday's meeting of tho Christchurch Tramway Board, the chairman (Mr C. M. Gray) said that the number of cases of women suffering from alighting from cars in motion was becoming alarming.. It might be that they would gradually learn wisdom, but most of them still alighted from cars with their bucks to the 'direction in which the car was travelling. Mr T, H. Davey asked if it would not be possible to secure larger type for the warnings in the cars. The chairman said that in the Wellington' cars they had pictures of the right and wrong.way of alighting from the cars.

A deputation representative of about a score of public bodies waited on Mr Cook (FederahMinister for the Navy) last month to urge the adoption by the Federal Government of the principle of proportional representation as a panm'.eii for most political ills, says the Melbourne 'Age.. , The" Bishop of Bathui'st, in a letter,' said'he regarded the introduction of proportional representation as the most-urgent of political reforms. Mr Cook said that a system of proportional, representation, allied with a method of preferential voting for the Federal.House, would give greatly better results than the present system] was giving, It would lead to a better and wider mirroring of public opinion, and many of the country's intrests would be more wisely represented., The time was ripe for a treatinent of "this great question. The- Government had not come to any : fuml-' decision., on the; matter, but because the principle was not" incorporated in its platform, it was '.not'".-to bo .assumed that; it ;Woi)ld not.be; considered, It was .being,' considered j}: arid .'■. ho..' hoped' that the;, attitude finally'reached, would be such :as \v9uldj bei; : aseeptablei' ■ '

. A boy seven vyears of age, ,Mas- -, ter N, Birdson, of Wellington, has ;. ; presented to the 'Canterbury Museum -ii■' sledge used by Sir. I'lrnest ShnrfclotuijS's* •''. ; recent.explonitlons.'in •; '■' the Antarctic. It will be placed in the Ethnological room (says the'Lyttoltbn Times), by F tlie side of. the sledge used in Captain-Scott's expedition. ;MrF. ;■. C. B.: Bishop has presented seVeral his- f torical invitation cards, to be placed in the old colonists' section, including ; nn invitation to' the Mayor's banq'uot givoii to Sir William F. D. Jervois, Governor of New' Zealand, on February 21,1883;

Intimation was received at Bluff on Friday tlinUns Sir Joseph Ward, who has represented Lake County on the Bluff Harbour Board, was not renominated, the Returning. Officer had declared the only nominee, Mr Peter Reed, duly elected as the Lake County member of the Board. It will probably be remembered (says the Southland Times) that Mr Reed contested the seat with Sir Joseph Ward three years ago. when after personally visiting the districts and addressing the electors, Sir Joseph was returned by 305 votes to 219. Provision is made for the consent of any nominee by telegram, which, of course, covers cablegrams, and although Sir Joseph's friends were expecting his consent, it did. not come to hand. No doubt..this ckeuinstance will be accepted by- seme people as evidence that Sir Joseph does not intend to return to the Dominion,

An agreement come to between the. Marine Radio Telegraphists' Institute of Australasia and the ..Amalgamated Wireless Association provides for the payment of wages to wireless operators, who are required to hold first-class certificates 'of efficency, if they are members of the union, at rates per month as follows:—First year, £9 a month; -second year, £10; third year, £11; fourth year, £l3; fifth. ):oar, -£l4-j sixth year, £ls; seveilth'• 'year, £l6; eigth and subsequent years, £l6; a month, Subscriptions to be paid at £1 per month over the rate they would receive for sevice on the above scale. Every operator, excepting when on leave, to have meals and proper living accommodation • provided' on respondents' Vessels, or to be'allowed, when temporarily ashore, os a day for a home port, or 7s 6d per day at any other port. When permantly on shore an extra allowance is to be given of £43 per annum, Thirity eight days' leave of absence.on full.pay to l»e al; annually. Ordinary duty'to'be' eight hours in every twenty- four.