THE BLUE CRAYON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20866, 7 May 1931, Page 6

THE BLUE CRAYON.

BROWN GOES TO VOTE. LREFLECTIONS IN BOOTH. THE WAYS OF THE CITIZEN. When Brown went to vole ho fell that he couldn't see the forest for the trees and after he had discharged his bewildering duty ho was so out of step with him* self that he found himself expressing a poor opinion of the trees. He wanted better timber with which to build the civic structure of his dreams—dreams that never will come true this sido of the millenium. Not being much of a party man he was filled with a growing annoyance at every candidate in the long list which had given him trouble. Instead of being profoundly pleased, as he should have been, that the plethora of candidates had given him a wide choice, ho fell to sneering at all the ladies and gentlemen who had offered their services for the thankless task of local government. He began to sigh for a kind of dictatorship over local affairs and generally experienced emotions which are the negation of democracy. And this, of course, is the cross which all candidates for public service must bear in this free and enlight: oned age. All the Browns who do not volunteer for the'duty are the seveire critics of those who do. Having taken possession of a. screen in the booth Brown first found fault with the thick crayon provided for his use and then with the little strip of wood across the corner that served as a table or desk. Then he began examining his lists and comparing them with the newspaper cutting over which ho had laboured between forkfuls of bacon and egg at the breakfast table that morning. A spot of marmalade had made a mess of the City council and butter had! lubricated the Transport Board, but still he could see what his opinion had been a few hours before. - One at a Time. He still held the view that one local body was enough for any man, but after he had made slashing (strokes with the crayon against most of the dangerous " ticket" ho began to doubt if he could put that principle into complote practice. He found that he was running out of candidates, but all the time was worried about there being too many. So he proceeded, and no one was there to say that it was a question whether such analogical fool of a citizen was worthy of a vote. He began to wonder about the ages of some of the candidates. He had been considering a thoory of his that no man over 65 should be supported, not because of a belief that old men should not risk their health by going out into the cold night to attend meetings, but on the ground that they might be too adventurous in public affairs. Brown thinks that there is nothing like the steadying effect of the forty-fives and fifties, which have not yet got their second wind and are still immune from the enthusiasms which attack the sixty-fives and seventies when they handle public moneys. " These old boys," says Brown, " expend with an eve on succeeding generations for payment. The younger men know they will have to do some of the paying and so are wary." The Private Factor. Having failed to eliminate anyone because of age, he began to behave like a "woman scorned." He remembered that, on ft certain occasion a candidate had " cut." him, but that he had burn effusive lately. "Now," said Brown to himself, "a man who suffers from shortsißht. or has fits of day-dreaming when elections are not looming near may make an admirable member, but can he be trusted ? I mean to say, is lie a 'bounder,' and if so, are ' bounders' safe and sound ? " He gave the candidate in question the benefit of the doubt, tmt oniy because the list of his "possibles" was nearly exhausted. The next name was struck out because he did not like it. He did not know the candidate but, alas, in the absence of knowledge the " look " of a name has great influence in a pollingbooth. It may arouse prejudices inherited from the distant past. It, may suggest antipathies to which it has no relation. Out goes the name of the stranger which does not appeal. In regard to names, Brown makes the discovery that there is only one "Mack " in all the papers and not a single " o'." What in the world, he reflects, has happened to the Highlanders and the Irish ? True, Scotland and Ireland are represented, but it hardly seems the thing that any list should lack the " salt" which some folk think is provided by "Macks " and others by the " O's." *But thisi is a profitless reflection in the booth, and Brown gets back to business. The Personal Equation. " What _ I ought to bo," thought' Brown, " is a voting machine who allows the compilers of a ' ticket ' to think for him." But Brown coulld novor do that. He must fret out his choice with all its slants and occasional illogical twists that go to the making of his personal equation. Orice the violent crayon slipped from a name of the " under no consideration" class and pushed itself into the one below. It was that of the " undoubtedly yes " sort and thus, simply through alphabetical juxtaposition and manual accident a man after Brown's own heart received a hostile thrust in the ribs. However, Brown wrote " stet." alongside the nam* and trusts that the returning officer will know what to do. Brown walked into the op<?n air feeling disgusted with himself. He was also oppressed with a sense of the futility of an individual vote. So 110 derided'the representation system (" ponderous nonsense," and so forth), raged about the candidates in general, questioned motives in a highly unjust manner and went to work. " And if it were not'for the necessity of most people going to work nnd staying there," he reflected, " what great councils and boards we might have."