POLLS AMENDMENT BILL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 65, 18 April 1944, Page 4

POLLS AMENDMENT BILL

Sir, —On reading Mr Burnett's remarks on the Local Elections and. Polls Amendment Bill in the Beacon of March 31, I, feel moved to make the following reply: Mr Burnett's argument is undoubtedly based upon the, ratepayers 'Bogey.' I say 'Bogey' because. I have .reason to believe it such. It would be much more correct to say that ratepayers, where tenants are concerned, are those who hand the rates over to the. local government. Literally speaking the tenant pays, the rates, only to find out that the house is not his after he has bought it, and that his money is being administered by the owner. Mr Burnett's argument that socalled ratepayers* should administer their own financial affairs seems also to admit that with the ownership of property comes automatic administrative ability. It is just not possible to couple the possession of something material with administrative ability. Mr Burnett remarks that it is sible for a council employee, say of the engineer, to become his boss were he. elected to the council. And why not, may I ask? Since when has an engineer or anyone else in an authoritive position been beyond questioning, is there some infallible rule which hovers over the heads of these: persons? We have only to loolc into some of the largest, manufacturing concerns in Britain to-day to realise the fact that the employees advice is very keenly sort. Many committees are set up to deal with such, questions as production, health and general welfare. Does Mr Burnett think that employees have no intelligence? Does he. think that they must be passed over with impunity? Mr Burnett apparently forgets the fact that the majority of the wealth in this world is created by the common people. Then why should they not administer it? , There has never been any cry from anyone about parliamentary repre-» sentation. Why? Because it is an accepted fact that everyone should have a say in the country ? s affairs* The disposal of several hundred million pounds does not seem to bother anj r one unduly. Then why all this fuss about the Local Elections and Polls Amendment Bill? But Mr Burnett's noise can be I think, • a little further than his mere words. It is because the new Bill is giving another push to that "Property Pedestal" by those who rightly think that the concern, of the country, local and general, is the concern of everyone • Yours etc., J. DITGHFIELD.