The Timaru Herald. THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 1909. THE BOROUGH ELECTIONS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13890, 29 April 1909, Page 4

The Timaru Herald. THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 1909. THE BOROUGH ELECTIONS.

I The expectation that tho abolition of the wards would cause greater interest to 1)0 taken in the election of a Borough Council for. Timnm has been justified by the event; and the related expectation that it would result in an infusion of new blood into the Council has also boon justified. It was highly desirable that a strong representation of tho retiring Council should bo re-elected, to supply a. steadying foundation of experience, and this has been Secured by the return of seven old Councillors to five new ones. Probably this proportion of, new blood is as largo as it would be wise to add at any-one-'elec-tion. As thr«e of the old Councillors stood out of the contest, it-was inevitable that .there should' bo throb new ones, and the electors have added .two more. The new Councillors aro all good business men, who will doubtless soon find their bearings and the run of the ropes; and there is no reason to think that the electors have returned any one who is at all likely to prove a discordant element in the Council. We believe that all of them are imbued With a single desire to look after the municipal interests to the best of their ability without fear or. favour, and that as they gain experience of the methods and .machinery of municipal management, and of the limitations within which their duties must be performed, the new men will make good Councillors. One of them, Mr Sinclair, has elsewhere had considerable experience of municipal management. , The election has, however, changed the constitution of the' Council so much as to suggest tlie advisability of reconsidering certain proposals of the late Council. Advertisements have,-' been published inviting the ratepayers to attend a meeting next Monday evening to hear these proposals' explained ;; but seeing that they have not been considered by the Council as at present, constituted, it would be ridiculous to submit them as proposals of the Council. This is not a case in which a Council binds its successors, as if tho undertakings had been entered into. The loan schemes referred to are merely schemes, and therefore subject to withdrawal at any time. Under tho circumstances the reasonable course seems to be to postpone the meeting of ratepayers, until the 'hew Council has had an opportunity of considering the proposals. AVe draw attention to this matter because it is, as above mentioned, a case in which the Council at the moment existing should act, and not the Council whose existence has been terminated by effluxion of time and a. fresh 'and the new Councillors have a right consider ihe schemes, as Councillors, before they are presented to the ratepayers for, their approval.