THE VALOUR OF IGNORANCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20704, 30 April 1929, Page 9

THE VALOUR OF IGNORANCE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, —Waipori is a big subject. Exactly how big very few candidates for municipal honours have any conception. It is amusing, and at the same time time rather pathetic, to read that Mr go and So “touched briefly on the subject,” or that Mr Blank summed up with a few remarks expressing his opinion on the sale of Waipori. 1 wonder if any of these gentlemen ever heard of the Valour of Ignorance. Here is an enterprise costing to date about £600,000, and upon which it will be necessary to snend £500,000 more at short notice, dealt with as casually as if it were the ancient problem of a municipal fish market. ’ • Some weeks ago, under the auspices of the Ch-mber of Commerce, Or Shacklock and the«.city electrical engineer addressed a crowded meeting of leading manufacturers and business men on the’proposi tion. It took these two gentlemen, with their intimate knowledge of the subject, each speaking from a dilfercnt standpoint, an houi and a-half in all to set out the problem fully and to explain its Salient features. At the expiration of that time nearly another hour was consumed in asking and answering questions; and xvaiemher that audience consisted of the keenest commercial and financial men in this city, and at the conclusion all that was done was to set up a committee to confer with the Electric Power and Light Committee, tlie meeting not feeling competent to expresß a definite opinion without further deliberation. Compare this with the marvellous assurance of many candidates and the charming simplicity with which they addres? . e electors on a subject which involves problems of. the first magnitude. Cr Shacklock and the city electrical engineer, in their addresses, to which I ¥ ve . only too clearly that Waipori involves problems of engineering of meteorology, of finance, of industry, of labour, of municipal policy, and of national policy. They showed how these acted and reacted, and they submitted for consideration alternative cues l huge importance. No wonder hearer ®> although accustomed to bisproblems and prompt decisions, hesitated to commit themselves. „,J he ® ssuran ce with which some of our candidates, especially those men withprevious experience on the council, fnA! d ? ahn l matter sufficiently n d ww» ™ e H 6 of ® ind rushes r ? angels fear to tread, verv tor ?i. Will d £* wel ) to scrutinise dntL tlle qualifications of candiManufactures.