OUR PUBLIC BODIES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13241, 22 March 1907, Page 4

OUR PUBLIC BODIES.

It is cosy to' agree with tlio argumentk which were urged upon Mv Crnigie ycKttrflay in Mipport of the'.s;oquosl .limb. lie should again consent to nomination for tlio Mayoralty of Timaru, and yfefc to regret the apparent, disposition to heap all the burdens of <iur . public life upon the nhouldei'N of one willing individual. Nobody will deny fir a moment that, Mr (Yaitfie hn« been most, assiduous in liis devotion to the service of t lhe public in Wlie variimn local' bodi&K with which ho is connected, and nobody - will be disposed to question, the wisdom of ihoso who think ho whould continue to control the affairs of the borough until the various soheinfiH for the initiation of .whiclr he v htm ibocti chiifly responsible, • have been carried inld effect. We do not. know, however, t hid. i() is altop;olliev ■ frtir 011 the part <>f , othoi'' l»W- 1 gcssfcii with considerable iiitot'en(K in t-ho town. Ilitil. they should leave Mr Crjiigii to carry .such a: large proportion of th<* anxiety and responsibility of pushing through bifj- schemcH for the improvement of Tiinaru. From a purely selfish point, of view, it, is not a little Mirprisiiig that tlitt work of:■ municipal miuuift'cmenl in almost, entirely shirked by tllie inoi-t *ul>Ktantial ratepayers in the. to'wn, wlio. if they have 110 illusions about the honour' lo be derived from public lifo, have ftfc

least interests which might warrant their imitation to some slight- extent of the~ excellent example which Mr Cvaigie has shown I<> all his fellow citizens in his readiness to take lnort than hi.*: share of local government, a characteristic which lie showed a disposition yesterday'to ex-, ■tend to the Harbour Board. In that capacity we have 110 douot that he •uoiild fulfil all the anticipations expressed by his friends yesterday, though we regret to notice that he. endorsed a .-theory which has been falsified l>v experience. ' There is no special virtue that we can see -in the chairmanship of the "Harbour Board being vevi-ed in a i own resident, while if Mr Craijie carrifs his memory back ;over 'the list of chairmen. lie will lie ;thc hist to admit that the port has owed 110 small amount of its progress to the guidance of country members who have at; different, periodi? of its history filled the; chair.