Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News AND UPPER THAMES ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, JULY 9, 1898.

Te Aroha News, Volume XIV, Issue 2127, 9 July 1898, Page 2

Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News AND UPPER THAMES ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, JULY 9, 1898.

The Piesident of. the .United States of America in a proclamation addressed to the seventy-five millions who acknowledge his rule, stated the other day that the highest attribute of citizenship is the exercise of sober dispassionate j udgment. In Te Aroha during the week now drawing to its close the general theme of conversation. sifice the mayoral contest was decided, has been the councillors’ election to-day. Two substantial reasons may be brought forward in justification of any unusual intensity in the local excitement. The chief, doubtless, is to be ft und in the fact that it is the first c ntest since our township became a borough. A feel ing also prevails that it is pr bvb’e that the ensuing tvyelve months may witness a great departure in the extension of the powers of local bodies, involving a transfer to these < f some of the work now don' i Parliament. The dignity and me illness consequently of borough councillors will be considerably increased if the advonates of the movement are sufccessfu 1 , which, it is reasonable to suppose, w 1 be the case. The idea, as we understand it, is that the Houses of Parliament will retain their control of national po : cy and administration ; but local matters will be entrusted to local bodies. An authority on this subject says a .wi-e increase of the function's and powers of local bodies Will simplify the husi-

ness of Parliament, and become generally popular. It was to this end County Councils were established in England, and their success in the direction indicated is pronounced. There are eight candidates and six councillors to be eh cted. By to-night two of their number will have vanished like ghosts from the 6tage ; hut who those two will be, so open is the event, in racing parlance, we will not attempt to predict. What with one thing and another the state of affairs existing in Te Aroha has unmistakeably-eonduced to make this election an exciting one, and the real purpose of the contest is in danger of being lost sight of. We think! consequently, that the wise words reported to .have been.’ uttered by President M’Kinley are in part applicable' to oiir case to-day, and we hope the ratepayers of Te Aroha will exercise in their choice of councillors a sober and dispassionate, judgment.