The Mayoralty

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19622, 4 May 1938, Page 15

The Mayoralty

Sir,—"Elector" admits that everyone knows where Mr. Bull stands, and claims the same for Mr. Coleman. Where in Mr. Coleman's 19 years on the Borough Council have we found him bringing forward a plan of his own except in the case of the ill-fated Waipaoa river scheme? True he fought very hard to keep our old-fashioned trams, but everyone now recognises that that movement was wrong, and that the buses have given greatly improved facilities to the public. There is certainly a big contrast between the worker who draws his £5 or £(> a week, and the politician whose income is mounting up to £IOOO a year, upon the backs of those who have so loyally backed his party.—Yours, etc.. TRUE BLUE. Sir,—One of your correspondents makes a comparison between Mr. Coleman's three paid jobs and Mr. Bull's position. Mr. Bull, however, is simply in the position of the ordinary citizen who gives some of his time to public service. He will not be absent from Gisborne for five or six months in the year, but will always be on hand to attend to whatever is wanted. Mr. Coleman, on the other hand, will have to resume his Parliamentary duties almost immediately, attend a .strenuous session, and then conduct an election campaign. With the exception of a hurried visit now and again to a council meeting, he will have little lime to give to the affairs of Gisborne for the next six months, and after election to Parliament he will again be absent half this time. This is fair neither to the citizens nor to his fellow council members.

Mr. Coleman has for so long held union secretaryships and public appointments that he may almost be said to be a professional politician—a type which it is extremely undesirable to develop in New Zealand. A democracy should hand its positions round, and its control should be assured in town and country alike by as large a number of citizens as are prepared to take their share of work. This has always been understood to be the Labour policy, and it is sound. Whyshould this policy be departed from in the interests of one man?—Yours etc.. CITIZEN.