The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 1915. THE BOROUGH ELECTION'S

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 180, 6 April 1915, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 1915. THE BOROUGH ELECTION'S

With which ia incorporated The T»i

hape Post hcd Waimarine News.)

The apathy with which the community scorns to be enveloped in connection with Borough affairs is far from indicating- a healthy conditoin of municipal politics. This should not be so for there are very few boroughs in New Zealand that have more weightlv reasons for exhibiting greater concern for the future than Tai hape has. As population increases, it is a corollary that councillors will find their duties more momentous and burdensome, but this town has now reached a slayc vh n - istration of its affairs calls m the very best and most capable business-men amongst us to come forward and lend their aid in bringing troublesome questions to the greatest possible successful issue. The experience of titir town differs very little from that of other New Zealand towns when in the. same transition stage. In fact, Taihape may be said tc. hav% already passed that degree of \|le: n hi l thought and idea of town board managemen must be abandoned ami snpplanted with something of a much more progress]ve eharacterCsa£s| payers vail have ,to realisevfhaffj anyth in gxle In’ n mnlai to 1 h iv 1 ow tff in the eyes of all New Zealand affects their pockets and interests 1 much more unsatisfactorily in tb.e long run than a period of high rates of a. transient character; and although the duties of a borough councillor are becoming more responsible, arduous and on erous, there is the greater honour in having successfully lifted lin ir town on to a higher plane, and there is also the pleasure ard satisfaction of seeing it b-ave others behind in the race of progress. Ratepayers ought not to allow the affairs of the town to drift; the present Council has done its utmost, but it is neither just or advisable that they should be

left at this particular time without the deliberative assistance that others are well able to render To allow a policy of drift to insinuate itself is to look forward with certainty to a stale of stagnation. There is altogether too mu eh oi the 'it will be all right’ attitude for we are sure of nothing beingall right unless we put onr shoulders to the wheel to make it so. 1 Whether it is indifference, modesty, or want of realisation of the importance of doing our utmost for the advancement of the town, in the surmounting of present difficulties, matters little, but the result of its continuance matters a great deal, for property-owners now have rapid progress thrust at them, and they have only to take up the marshalling and moulding of opportunities to lift this town up to the level of most of our inland proviuoi ol it would scarcely be creditable testimony to onr civic concern to | allow seats on the Council to go |by default, but there is at least ' one seat that now blood must occupy. The present Mayor, Mr. A L. Arrowsmitb, has signified hi? intention not to seek re-election, and if he adheres to his expressed intention, which we should very much regret, a new man will have to be elected, either to the Council or to the Chief Magistracy. The elections take place lids month and the time for doing the utmost to secure the best men is getting altogether too short Most of the present Council wid in all probability seek re-election hut it does not invoke the best feelings in any representative tr have it said, or thought even that he holds the position because no one else will take it. Therefore, every ratepayer who nun manage to spare the time should come forward and do his duty in this connection. The coming municipal elections are awakening public spirit and causing active interest to be shown in mom oilier boroughs and cities, and \vliilo this town, in its pub lit works and general progress, has so much at stake it is, at least surprising that no movement is yet apparent.