TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 1905.

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume V, Issue 1309, 25 April 1905, Page 2

TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 1905.

The fact that the Mayoralty and tho Borough Council Boats are to be contested at tbe election to-morrow showa tHat public interest in the affairs of t'le Borough is anything bat dead. . The public which never concerns itself in electoral matters, either general or lovtil, suffbra for its apathy, and there h no reason to

think- that Waihi would prove an exception to the'rule. The candidates for the Mayoralty, Messrs T. Gilmoar; and 0. J. Saunders, have both expressed their views on borough matters through the col we of this pap or. Mr Giloiour dealts mostly with what has been done daring,, the past year, and states that/owing to the scattered 1 nature of the residences in the borough, and the. urgent necessity for roads and footpaths. in the suburbs, he has found it quite impossibe to keep the overdraft within reasonable limits.. Had the £SOOO •added, to the overdraft been expended on roads and footpaths ire the suburbs, Mr Gilmour would Lave the entire sympathy of the electors, but as a matter of fact the roads and footpaths in. the suburbs have been more or leas neglected, and the energies of the Council ha-ve been concentrated on the preparation of the bowling green. That is where a good many hundred pounds of the overdraft are going. Months ago is was announced officially that a crusher Wiiß urgently needed in the borough for the purpose of crushing metal; for the roads and footpaths, as the ! method of breaking by hand was too slow for the demand. The crusher was obtained, but up, to the present it seems to have been crushing not so much for the roads and footpaths as for the bowling green substratum. The metal has therefore been used greatly for* the benefit of the bowlers,.; while, on the. authority of Mr Gilmour himself, works that were authorised ■'. as far back as 1903 are still unfinished. It should be apparent to the Mayor- and the Oonncil that with so btnje an overdraft necessary publie works Bhould' take precedence * over luxuries, and it most be admitted that one of Mie necessary works U the formation ||nd. \ metalling of streets. Miles ftd miles of roads might have wen metalled with the money Isflßhed upon the bowling green laxury, a work which in the present Htate of the finance might have, stood over indefinitely. The winter is drawing near, and (lie titno is now short in which mealing can be done with convenience, and roads which might have been attended to will have to wait over fill some period which cannot comprehended at present. Wo can only hope that if Mr Gilmour is re-olected he will oppose, and use all his power to prevent, any iniquity which threatens to creop into tha Council, and, to quote his own words, that "he will do his best in the next twelve months consistent with t.h'i funds available." Mr Saunders, unlike his fellowcandidate, says little about the actions of the Council during tb« I past year, confining himself chiefly to the policy he will pursue if Alectfld to the Mayoral chair. From hia address electors will have gathered that lie purposes borrowing five thousand pounds for the completion of the water-works, and the striking of a rat? that will fall more evenly on oonsumeis than the .jrate &o W j n f orca . that he would Kave 1 tie road,to Waihi Beach oonas mm sb possibles, m<s

would oxpnnd five htmdiod ymundn. I or ovoti morn, on tlm wnrle ; tli;ii In. ; WOUld COllHlder tl)o(]Ui'lilioi> nl'p'ihie- j int? tho clerical oxintiium of th.('onucll and tho coat or mliniiiiMM.i turn; ihnt milll tho completion of tbo druimigo Bvliomo be would m< ( . that tho Hutittiiry by-hwn wi-i<> Btrictly enforced tstul I!■-» town kepi clean ; and thud " if elected it will ln> h'w desire to do what in righi. uml ondouyour to bu juat to till pai in of tllO boi'onph. 1 ' Thtt two e;intli-lao k tiro no wo!I known thmiuny reuiiukH from ua Us to Ihn tueilta of either tiro unnuccHßiiry, and the qu>'tnitni <<l which in i\\a bettoriinulilled to earnout the (liitioa of tlio hijJfU ollr-i' m iy well b') left, to (be elector*. For tho Borough Council (h'-r----are fifteen candidates for tbo trn Beats. Eight of tbo onl-«oiug (JownoiUofs are standing for reelection, the other two bavins* retired, Mr 0. J. Saunders in order to contest the Mayoralty, and Mr U, Campbell having left the township. The new candidates are Messrs J. Hume, G. Moves, "W, A. McUartbny, R. A. McMillan, D. G. Saunders, T. Snow, and G. Colobrook. None of the latter, cither through the or at public meetings, have announced their views upon borough matters; but we are glad to find that among them are men who represent tbo east and ao nth portions of the town, portions which latterly have btmn totally unrepresented. In the absence of any expression of views on the part of the seven new candidates we can only advise the electors to select from (be new and the old the tan who appear to tlu-m the most likely to form a Council that will work for the general good and not for their own end.*, or lor tbo benefit of purticiitur l'n»nd* or cliques.