South Canterbury Times. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1881.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2696, 9 November 1881, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1881.

A general election of representatives to the colonial Parliament appears to dwarf an election of representatives to local bodies into a comparative insignificance that is far from indicative of its real importance. As a matter of fact, for ratepayers, if not for the electors generally, the County Council elections about to be held are really of greater importance than the election of members of the House of Representatives ; of greater importance because a County Council composed of unsuitable persons may cause more annoyance and work greater evil within their sphere of action than the House of Representatives can do within the same sphere. A County Council, if it chooses to be officious, if it chooses to magnify its office and do all manner of things, it may legally do, for the mere sake of doing them, may make itself so great a nuisance that a cry would soon be raised that it be “ put down or on the other hand a Council might so neglect its proper and useful functions, while blocking the way to

others who would do the work required, that it would again prove a nuisance. The present Geraldine County Council dies from effluxion of time this week, and a new one is to be elected next week. We desire to supplement the foregoing very general remarks by a few more particular remarks in reference to this election. At present the Council is composed of the following members :—for the Levels Riding, Messrs E. Acton and H. J. Sealy ; for the Temuka Riding, Messrs J. Mendelson and A. Wilson ; Mount Peel, Mr G. G. Tripp ; Geraldine, Mr T. Hardcastle ; and Mount Cook, Mr G. F. Clulee. Of these gentlemen Mr Sealy has left the district, Mr Wilson has already bidden his Temuka constituents farewell, but he has since offered himself for election for the Levels riding, and we have reason to believe that Mr Hardcastle will not present himself for reelection. The Councillors whose term of office has now expired have found their labors very arduous. Their proceedings were confined, or supposed to be confined, within the four corners of but a few Acts of Parliament; but to ascertain the exact position of each of those corners was no easy matter. This work they appear to have pretty well succeeded in at last, and we desire to point out to the ratepayers the advisability of re-electing at least a good proportion of the retiring Councillors, in order that the new Council may not have all the work of investigating their powers and duties to do over again. The Levels Riding for instance, could scarcely do better than re-elect their retiring member for one, filling up the second seat with one of the other candidates in the field. While it is advisable that a certain proportion of experienced members should be returned, it is not the less desirable that some new blood should be imported into the Council, and therefore we should recommend that the second seat be given to one of the new candidates. Mr Acton has proved himself a painstaking and cautious councillor, and he deserves a continuance of the ratepayers’ confidence. He has been long accustomed to public work of the kind required, and his careful attention to details, and the calmness with which he considers every question, renders him a very safe representative. We are not aware bow many gentlemen will come forward for the Temuka Riding, but the ratepayers of that Riding will make a mistake if they do not re-elect Mr Mendelson if they have the opportunity given them. He is often unpractical, it may be, but he now has the complicated laws bounding the Council’s actions “at his fingers’ ends,” and on this account alone has been, and would again be, a most useful member. Mr Tripp will almost certainly be returned for Mount Peel, and Mr Clulee for Mount Cook, but it would be advisable to have more than these two of the old members on the new Council. We make no remarks on the gentlemen except to say that it is to be hoped a Chairman who has a bitter comprehension of a Chairman’s duties, and a better knowledge of the conduct of business than Mr Tripp will be chosen by the next Council. The Geraldine County Council have become almost notorious for their habit of muddling the simplest business, and for this the Chairman must be held to be chiefly to blame. It is the Chairman’s function, surely, to see that business is carried on in a methodical manner, but not only has he not done so, but he has been almost the greatest sinner in this respect.