THE PUTARURU PRESS. Office ----- Main Street Phone 28 – – – P.O. Box 44 (Lewis, Portas and Dallimore’s Buildiags.) THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 1926. RIDING MEMBERS.

Putaruru Press, Volume IV, Issue 128, 15 April 1926, Page 4

THE PUTARURU PRESS. Office ----- Main Street Phone 28 - - - P.O. Box 44 (Lewis, Portas and Dallimore’s Buildiags.) THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 1926. RIDING MEMBERS.

EARLY next month the district ratepayers, in common with all having- a county qualification throughout the country, will be called upon to decide who shall represent their interests on the County Council for the comingterm. In consequence there is always at this period an unusual amount of comment on county works and methods. It is not our intention at the moment to make any comment on the question of candidates, but rather to bring- to notice a sug-g-estion which arises from the nature of some of the criticism emanating- from ratepayers. This is that closer touch should be maintained between the council and the ratepayers they represent. Much of -the criticism which is made is no doubt legitimate, but much more, though quite honest, is made in ignorance of the true facts. In other words, were closer touch maintained by riding members with the ratepayers they represent, much of the criticism made by ratepayers, which sometimes degenerates to mere fault finding, would never have been uttered. In view of this it would appear to be a welcome innovation if councillors, especially in the larger ridings, were to address electors in their different centres, on suitable occasions, so that a general survey of what had been accomplished, and what was aimed at, could be g-iven. Such meetings would remove much of the misapprehension which now exists and would provide ratepayers with a public opportunity of ridding themselves of any grievance by interrogating the councillor. It is due to the ratepayers that every councillor should give an account of his stewardship at least twice a year, and if this were done many false impressions would be cleared up, and thus much heart burning would be saved to many a settler who might consider that he was not getting a fair deal. Further, such meetings would undoubtedly spur the member concerned to greater activity on the whole, and help to create that sound public opinion which is so necessary to ensure that a progressive and economical policy is forever kept tc the fore.