The Wanganui Chronicle. THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 1929 LOCAL BODY ELECTIONS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 92, 18 April 1929, Page 6

The Wanganui Chronicle. THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 1929 LOCAL BODY ELECTIONS

'pO-DAY is the last day for the receipt of nominations for the

various local bodies. Candidates arc, therefore, busy lodging their nominations so that they will be in line to enter the contest. Those who offer themselves for election merit Ihe appreciation of the public, for they are, in the main, moved by a sense of citizenship to undertake, without reward and often without thanks, the conduct of public affairs. Local body administration is of considerable importance, for it can bestow great benefits and also create heavy burdens. Those who would serve on local bodies should be able to produce evidence of their own personal ability and judgment, for this is the chief recommendation Io the electors for local office holding. Men gifted with sound judgment are not plentiful. They are usually in demand for work which is lucrative. But the public should seek to select men from among this class when they are available. Frequently the man of sound judgment is not particularly good as a platform speaker, his function calling upon him more to exercise thought than speech. The public would be well advised to put more trust in a good thinker than in a good speaker.

The programmes of the candidates should also be given careful scrutiny. The holding out of bait, when detected, should be condemned. It is an easy way to curry favour by offering some small advantage to each particular district, but such a course usually ends in creating an unsatisfactory position. The more desirable candidates will give heed to broad issues and general principles, keeping the welfare of the whole communitywell to the front all the time.

Generally speaking the problem with our local body administration is that too much is attempted. It sometimes takes more courage to do little than to do much. The man who cries “halt” to avoid danger is more often a leader than he who goes blindly forward trusting to luck what the outcome will be. For the sake of our local administration it is to be hoped that the public will take a real interest in the forthcoming elections, doing their best to secure the return of men of the best type to guard and to advance the public interest.