The Daily Telegraph. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1883.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3860, 30 November 1883, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1883.

Reverting to Mr Sutton's notice of motion in the Hawke's Bay County Council, the question arises, what advantage is sought to be obtained by the proposed change ? Is it, or can it be contended, that the best men in a Eoad District offer themselves as candidates for scats in the Highway Board, and that they are invariably elected ? Our experience is that, as a rule, a seat in the Highway Board is not such a coveted distinction as to invite the ambition of the best men. The same thing is to be found in boroughs; the men of the best administrative capacity, and of the most intelligence, are certainly not always to be found in the councils of municipalities. Again, supposing that in some favored Highway District the best men of that coantry side did secure seats at the Board, does it follow that the Board would select its best man as chairman ? We think not. Local jealousies, prejudices, neighbors' quarrels, and disputes arising from trespass, too often exert an important influence in country local elections, and this very frequently not only secures the defeat of a good man, but prevents good men from offering themselves as candidates. Without in any way wishing to bo in the slightest degree personal, wo may be permitted to ask whether an improved Council would bo secured if the seven present councillors Avcro to make room for the chairmen of any seven Road Boards that might be picked in the county ? However much the feeling may be reprehensible, there can bo no doubt that many a capable man entertains the thought that to spend his time at a Road Board is not good enough, while he is not disinclined to regard a scat in the County Council as approaching a distinctive honor. Our contention therefore is that, so far from, thero being any gain to be looked for from Mr Sutton's proposal, a decided loss would be incurred. In practice, we think, it would be found that while many a Road Board chairman could find time to attend to the duties of his local Board, not a few would discover that they had no time for leisure for County Council business. If there had been any good reason for changing the existing system of election to the Council, Mr Sutton's motion would have had our support. As it happens, however, the administration of county affairs has been most satisfactory; the attention of councillors to public business lias been close and intelligent, and in their election to office the ratepayers have shown a wise discrimination. Why should there then beany change? Mr Sutton, perhaps, will explain why thero Bhould bo a fresh departure when ho brings his motion before tho Council; but after tho noxt meeting of that body wo hope to hear no more of the matter,