THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1947. THE CITY COUNCIL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26621, 18 November 1947, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1947. THE CITY COUNCIL

The campaign for the election of members of the various local bodies is now in its closing stages and tomorrow the citizens will make their wishes known. We conceive it to be our duty to urge upon everyone to vote. The vote is not only a democratic privilege, it is a responsibility which must be discharged. It is for the voter himself to indicate what he sincerely believes will be in the best interests of the city. The campaign has not been heated. Its distinguishing feature has been the emphasis on the political affiliations of the Labour candidates. The electors, therefore, are obliged to treat their vote as a political one. This is of especial importance in the voting for the City Council which during the past term has afforded striking evidence of the undesirable effects of the introduction of politics into local body affairs. The Labour councillors of the past three years have not discharged their duty as local representatives of the ratepayers. They have refused to take their full share of committee work —not one has accepted the office of chairman of a committee. The fact that some of them are also members of Parliament has affected the regularity of their attendance. In particular, they have consistently acted and voted as one bloc, determined to oppose all proposals which they have not initiated. The claim that they have acted in this manner for the good of the city is an obvious pretence. The healthy circulation of opinion and criticism in debate has been subordinated repeatedly to political interest. If civic administration during the past term has not been as progressive as it might have been, there is the reason for its failure.

On the other hand, the city has had conscientious service from its Mayor and from the councillors whose candidature was sponsored by the Citizens’ Association. Division in the council has made Mr Cameron’s task doubly difficult but his chairmanship has been of a high order. As for the manner in which he has discharged the social obligations of his position, it would be hard to recall a Mayor who has taken a more active interest in the affairs of all sections of the community. The Citizens’ Association representatives among the councillors have. ably supported Mr Cameron and have earned the right to be returned to office. Labour representation in the council has shown itself to be disruptive and a hindrance. It is the duty of the electors to return men who can give their full time to the affairs of the council and who will be guided not by political fanaticism but by what they believe to be for the progress of Dunedin.