The Southland Times. PUBLISHED DAILY. Luceo Non Uro. FRIDAY, 17th JULY, 1885.

Southland Times, Issue 8062, 17 July 1885, Page 2

The Southland Times. PUBLISHED DAILY. Luceo Non Uro. FRIDAY, 17th JULY, 1885.

It will be seen from what appears in another column that the Town Council at their meeting list night adopted the recommendation of the Finance Committee that the law should be " altered so as to permit the Mayor to be elected by the Council instead of by the ratepayers as at present." This recommendation is to be forwarded to the membei for the town in order that he may get the alteration inserted in the Bill brought in by the Government to consolidate and amend the law relating to Municipal Corporations. New Zealand stands almost, if not altogether, alone in regard to the election of Mayors. In most other countries those civic dignitaries are elected by the town or city council. Here, however, the election is more popular, belonging to the burgesses. A good deal may be said for this method. It is, wo say, more popular, in the literal sense of "the word, than the other ; aad it tends to prevent municipal Government from falling into the hands of cliques and coteries. This is doubtless a f reat advantage, giving, as it does, the citizens an opportunity to express their wishes and opinions ia a manner that cannot well be disregarded. On the other hand it opens the way to tho election of persons u'fcerly unacquainted with municipal business, especially in seasons of excitement in regard to important public questions. At euoh times a glib-tongiied candidate, with no proper qualifications for the office, might easily persuade the ratepayers to elect him. This method is also very expensive. Every mayoral election costs Invercargill £200. Still, it may be doubted, after all, whether there is any great need for the alteration desired by our Town Council. If the custom is, as we believe, peculiar to New Zealand, that is one reason, although not indeed a very cogent on*», why we should not part with it, anything like originality in Buch matters being extremely rare. And it cannot be Baid tbat it has worked ill. As a rule, it is the case that tbe Mayor is chosen from the Councillors, and there is surely this to be said in favour of the existing method, that it allows the city, as a whole^ tbe chance of approving of the choice which has already been made by thip, that or the other ward. In a new country too we should rather strive to make an honest use of popular institutions than to destroy them. One thing, however, should be oarefully seen to, and tbat ia that the salary attached to the office should not be such as to tempt natural born hirelings and mercenaries to offer themselves as candidates.