THE LOCAL ELECTIONS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20706, 2 May 1929, Page 8

THE LOCAL ELECTIONS.

The result of the polling yesterday for the election of members of the. City Council, Harbour Board, and Hospital Board -was declared at such a late hour that it is impossible, for us to offer any comment upon it this morning beyond an expression of satisfaction that the electors once more declared in an emphatic manner their objection to the intrusion of party politics into questions, of purely domestic concern. To the candidature of representatives of Labour for local public office ho opposition can reasonably be offered, provided that their candidature is based .on personal merit. The election of Mr Munro, M.P., as a member of both the City Council and the Harbour Board affords the proof that this is a view that is widely entertained by the citizens. The election of “tickets” in the interest, of any particular political party in local elections is, however, distinctly objectionable. It invites the composition of alternative “ tickets and, indeed, necessitates such a step in order that there may be no undue dissipation ■ of the strength of theelectors who resent the attempt to bring them under party domination. That the action of the Dunedin Electoral Association in providing these alternative “tickets” was appreciated by the elector’ is shown by the fact that nin* of its nominees for the City Council, all its nominees for the Hospital Board, and a majority of its nomineeSi.for the Harbour Board were elected.