WAIMATE POLITICS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVII, Issue 16512, 6 April 1918, Page 6

WAIMATE POLITICS.

The result of the Waimate trial of strength between tlie Mayor and hostile Councillor* fairly deserves to .have applied to it tlie words of the old couplet :

"Some say that wo won, and some say that thoy won, And some say that none won. at a',; man.'' A majority of tlie Councillor*, who rebelled against *3FTJash'a very individual mayoral anethods —to describe them in tho "mildest way —have been returned by, the electors, and can claim that their protest has been endorsed. On the other hand their leader, Mr Inkster, has had his resignation approved in a different way, though only by two votes, a margin much, too small to bear with it any. moral effect. Mr Dasn has stated that if • there is any difficulty with the Council as now constituted he will be able to solve it by his casting vote. We hope that he will not rely too much on that, or more trouble may be invited. A wise maybr or chairman does not use his ca,,sting vote if he can avoid it, ana custom, which regards it as a power more consonant with expediency than with propriety, rules that upon any innovating motion it shall only be used for the maintenance of the status quo. The best -statement niade after the Waimate poll we take to be Mr Dash's, that he intended to work amicably with his Council, ancl hoped there would be no: more friction. There will be none, of an extreme .sort, if both Mayor and Councillors work in that spirit, if Mr Dash can forbear to view Waimate politics as a. new, lieryic conflict between Heaven and Satan. which they arc not, and if the Mayor's "prerogative" is regarded by him a« a privilege best used when it is used least ostentatiously. The'-election reallv affords no verdict, upon Council differences. The new CmincOlors micht have been elected if they had stood a year ago.