The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE TUESDAY, MARCH 6th, 1917. THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 6 March 1917, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

TUESDAY, MARCH 6th, 1917. THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

(With which is incorporated The Taihapo Post and Wairnarino News).

-1 The repbrt 'that Mr. A. R. Joblin has been requisitioned to allow himself to be nominated for the position of Chief Magistrate is the first real indication that any body of burgesses is making an organised effort to have the biennial vacancies in our borougn government contested. It is freely bruited about that some electors have come together, and have selected new men to fill every chair in the Council room, but it is difficult to believe such a story, simply because action of that kind would tend to defeat its own object. The large body of voters, and certainly the iriKt intelligent, and those who have the deepest interest in the welfare and progress of the town and the wellbeing and interest of its people, would at once come to the conclusion that a faction of that kind was working with ulterior motives; that their expressed desire did not represent the real intention. Men with experience in the evolution of municipal government would surely shrink from any suggestion of the kind, and any sensible voter—in fact all but those lending themselves to making a clean sweep of the Council Chamber would scent municipal danger, and would exert every effort to circumvent it. There are several wildsounding reports current, but we trust that the upbuilding of this borough, and its rescue from an unsatisfactory position will evoke the good sense of every intelligent man and woman in the community, for it would not be at all difficult at this stage to run borough matters into a hopeless and almost inextricable condition. Let us organise by all means, but let us organise for good. Pique at not getting °nr own little ways in utterly insignificant matters should not cause us to lose our self control, and thereby to scheme for our own personal pettifogging little whims and pleasures, at the sacrifice,of the great good of the whole community. We do not think that any body of men could be so food ill, and ever, if they were, ;the

very attitude taken up would bring its own defeat. That some are already organising should urge others to do likewise. In the Council we want the pick of our very best brains, honest, upright men, who have the natural business ability and training; men who can see at a glance right through the most abstruse and knotty business problems which will for a long time Ito come thrust themselves upon our attention. We need strong organisations to bring the necessary pressure upon such men to get their consent to take on these most important of public duties, but let it be organisation, not scheming. Let every aspect of the public affairs come before ratepayers in a way that is above suspicion of subtlety and scheming, and then we shall have no fear of the result. No truer saying than, “A house divided against itself cannot stand” was ever uttered. We want all the organisation we can get; we want opposing views brought together and discussed; we want opposition/’Liecause it alone brings the vitality into municipal life that we need, but to tolerate scheming will spell municipal disaster. Whether it is opposed to wr views or not we shall heartily welcome any honest organisation to secure the best Council it is possible to elect. It is rumoured, most persistently, that Mr. Arfßwsmith has definitely decided that he will not seek re-eleiction as Mayor, but, though we may not have seen eye to eye with him in the details of his administration, we think Mr. Arrowsmith cannot have done more than casually remark that he would not seek re-election. During the war period the positkih of Mayor has had an importance and arduousness that has never before been experienced. A legal training has helped Mr. Arrowsmith through multitudinous military and other difficulties that would have held up most of us; he still has that work in hand, and at the most serious period of the Whole war. While we hesitate to thrust work upon others that we are unable to perform ourselves, we really think that Mr. Arrowsmith should not wish to relinquish his - half-finished war work, but rather carry it orr~tcT the end, be it triumph over Germany or defeat. We are in the war’s mid-stream, facing i,ts very deepest and most unknowable depths, and as Taihape, in its connection with war work and administration ’has been praiseworthily spok-

en of in the -highest military and governing quarters, we think Mr. Arrowsmith should not at this stage force upon the boroiTgh any swapping of horses; but if he is determined so to do, then it is for burgesses to realise the importance of selecting a man that can 1 capably and worthily carry on the onerous and arduous work involved in the position of Taihape’s Chief Magistrate.