BOROUGH COUNCIL ELECTIONS.

Otaki Mail, 23 April 1923, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL ELECTIONS.

Once again the biennial election of I members for the Borough Council is I due, and for a short interval an abnormal interest is taken by some of the electors in their domestic affairs. The merits of individual candidates are freely discussed and mistakes that the present Council are alleged to have made are given an undue prominence, while much good steady work that has been done is overlooked or treated as a matter of course. Additional interest attaches to the election on this occasion in that there is competition for the position ot Mayor, the two candidates being the present Mayer (Mr .1. J". Brandon) and Mr Byron Brown, of Otaki Beach fame. The two candidates are so well-known that little need be said. The improvements in the borough area since Mr Brandon took office are so many that all must conclude thai the Council litis been guided by a man with a keen grasp of affairs, while the loan works, that are under way, iu the shape of water and drainage schemes, make it almost imperative that the same hand shall be at the helm lot a further period. Mr Byron Brown has served the electors as chairman of , the Town Board and has been the means J of boosting the town. Space forbids us

to deal individually with those members of the community who have come forward to contest the election for the Council. That the old Council has done splendid work no one can deny: one litis only to stand at the public school and look down the length of tarred footpath, or stand at the Post Office and look up Convent Road at the length there to realise that more work has been done in the last two years to bring the Borough up-to-date than ever before. The domain, though very much more needs to be done, has been looked after, the football area fenced, trees topped, etc. The cemetery has been \:t\- largely reclaimed from the dreary waste it was when the Council took

Otliee, to say nothing of proper plans of it being secured and plots marked and identified. The facts being as stilted it would seem reasonable to suppose that the ratepayers will return by a substantial majority those who have

si rxed them so well in the pasl, and give them a chance to complete works now in progress. .Some may think that a little opposition is essential but have only to look up reports of Council meetings to realise that this has -been supplied when necessary by the present members. Our Parliament presents an object lesson on the futility of attempting much forward work, with tlie numbers of the parties evenly divided, and it will be a pity if the electors, through any error in judgment, place our Council in the same position.