THE TWO TEAMS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 121, 23 May 1944, Page 4

THE TWO TEAMS

T'WO teams are before the public to-day offering their services to conduct the affairs of the city and other local bodies: one team is assisted by the Citizens’ Committee and the other by the Labour Party. The Citizens’ Committee is to be congratulated upon its activities in securing a candidate for each office, and in all twenty-eight Citizens’ candidates are offering their services. On the other hand the Labour Party has either not been able to secure sufficient candidates to come forward for each of the contested positions, or some of the members of that body are monopolising as many opportunities as they can crowd in. In view of the party having as one of its avowed principles “one man one job,” the public must decide whether the party is still true to its avowed principles but cannot get satisfactory candidates to come forward, or whether the much-voiced principle of yesterday has been as conveniently laid aside as its plank for the abolition of the Upper House. One candidate has the confidence that he can manage to fill no less than five public offices, another one four, yet another three. Every Labour candidate for the Power Board is offering himself (or herself) for other public offices; three of the four Labour candidates offering themselves for the Hospital Board are also candidates for other public offices, and all but one of the six Labour candidates for the Harbour Board have other offices or aspirations. Of the twelve Labour candidates for the City Council, five aspire to other offices. The public can hardly be convinced that nineteen representatives can do the same good work that twenty-eight can do. The difficulty of time alone will not permit of it, for public offices absorb the time of those who fill them, and especially so when the elected representatives give due thought to the work of the body on which they serve. When considering the two teams the public should also endeavour to assess the quality of the men. Man for man there may be little, to choose between them; but experience for experience, very small doubt may be entertained as to which side has the wider and more useful experience; this undoubtedly weighs heavily on the side of the Citizens. The last City Council obviously lacked men of experience and training which fitted them for public affairs, and during the present campaign it has become clear that bel ter minds will be available tc consider public business than has been the case during the past four years. The Citizens among themselves are aware of this, and are free to express themselves in private and in public as best it seems to themselves. Herein the Citizens’ candidates, if elected, will have an advantage, over those of the Labour organisation, which stifles public debate in the interests of cohesion in the face of the public.