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Hokitika Guardian, 25 February 1930, Page 4

For the County by-election to-morrow, the electors in the Central Riding have a very good choice before them. Three well-known personages are offering their services and the choice rests with the voters. It is pleasing to see the interest manifested in local Government. It is often a matter of complaint that local bodies do not do tin's or that, out an occasion of a poll like the present is an opportunity to test out complaints, and to give- the public an opportunity to express their views at the ballot-box. County matters, particularly of late years, have been runn'ng very smoothily, and probably there are not many causes for complaint among the ratepayers about the administration of the Westland County Council. The local body has been busy improving the roads generally, without any degree of special taxation on the ratepayers. Rather otherwise, there has been a reduction, and the district is shown by the year hook to he the lightest rated on the Coast, which is a fair comparison seeing that Coastal conditions generally are fairly uniform. Nowadays extra expenditure is cast on the local bodies, particularly in respect to hospital administration. This in the past has been high, but of late a more stable volume of expenditure has not been so exacting on the rates. Highways expenditure has also required the outlay of a larger sum annually on the roads, but there is a direct return to the users in the better roads, which mean less wear and tear on vehicles using the roads, and a decreased cost tor maintenance. So far as the Future is concerned, there is much for a local body such as the Westland Countv

Council to perform. The district requires more and more opening up. Roads and reading arc the special task of a county council, and it has been seen that where a. settlement is well served by roads, there arc the most satisfactory conditions in the way of production. There is a groat deal of room for more settlement in Westland, and that carries with it more reading The task will throw fresh obligations on the local body, but it is there for that purpose, and it is the business of the members to attend to the administration to the best effect. Naturally local bodies play a gobd part in the amenities of the respective districts. The means of access and the upkeep of same, is probably what the ratepayers first look to. But a local body has much more to do than that. Tno record of the Westland Council shows that it has performed its task with a considerable degree of credit. There’ is room for the Council to do more and even better work in the future, arid the electors should have this fact in. mind when making their choice to-morrow by selecting the best man for the job.