The Daily News. TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 1914. TO-MORROW'S ELECTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 279, 28 April 1914, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 1914. TO-MORROW'S ELECTION.

To-morrow the burgesses of New Plymouth will be called upon to choose between Mr. G. W. Browne, the retiring Mayor, and Mr. J. E. Wilson, a member oi the Council, for the position of Mayor for the ensuing year. With Mr. Wilson's views and past services .burgesses are by this time fairly conversant, as they certainly are of the retiring Mayor's. During the past week or so, Mr. Wilson has devoted a good deal of his time to criticising the actions of the Mayor, and proclaiming his own special fitness for the position lie seeks. When, however, he has left generalities and made specific charges against the .Mayor's administration, he has lamentably failed to substantiate them. We refer to the alleged waste of money over the purchase of the land for the waterworks on the Waiwakaiho river and the Mayor's attitude regarding the widening and raising of the Carrington road. At his last meeting, Mr. Wilson, in referring to the waterworks land purchase, endeavored to justify his silence at the time the recommendation on the. matter from the Works Committee was before the Council hy remarking that "when the Works Committee decides on a resolution it is only wasting time to call a vote on it and divide the Council when it comes up for confirmation." He was induced to make the statement by our contention that if he felt so strongly on the point it was his duty to enter ? vigorous protest at the time the recommendation was ieforetheCouncil, and not leave his protest till now, when the Council are committed to the scheme, rendering futile any action the ratepayers might wish to take. Mr. Wilson's excuse for not taking action at the proper time is transparently lame. But if he had done his duty, as he saw it, at that time, it would, we think, have resulted in ratepayers being convinced of the wisdom of the course followed by the Council. The Mayor, in a letter to this journal yesterday, traversed the position very fully, and conclusively proved to the unbiassed mind that it was a good piece of business on the part of the Council to have acquired the property. We will go further, and say that had the Council not acted as it did and secured the catchment area it would have failed in its duty to tke ratepayers. We say this all the more confidently after a personal inspection of the locality. The Council must have supervision over the catchment"area in the locality of the water supply, in order to prevent possible pollution, and it would be a good thing, indeed, if the Council could acquire the whole of the watershed of the river. From the point of pounds, shillings and penc; the Council has got particularly good value, and the land, let as it is, will result in an actual profit to the Council. Mr. Wilson's advice to toy the narrow atrip of six and a-half acres would have propel a short-sighted one, and we really bilieve that in the years to come he will believe so himself. As, to the otftojmatter, the raising and widening of the Carrington road, the Mayor denies absolutely the responsibility for making the departure with which ho is charged . by Cr. Wilson. The latter, in a letter we print this morning, alleges that the Mayor has confused the plans, and states that he cannot understand the engineer "taking the trouble to prepare the final plan on his own initiative, and without having ascertained that the Council was prepared to make the necessary expenditure for the extra land." Now, it seems to us 1 that the confusion is on the part of Mr. Wilson, not of Mr. Browne, for it is unlikely that the Mayor will make a misstatement on a matter so familiar to him. Mr. Wilson has evidently been barking up the wrong tree. We thus see Mr. Wilson's two specific charges against Mr. Browne fall to the ground, exploded and ineffective. He has set out to condemn Mr. Browne's administration; he has succeeded in vindicating it. He has sought to show that he is "a better man than Mr. Browne"; he has succeeded in hiding his transcendent qualities. He has promised to endow the Chief Citizen's chair witJi dignity and tone; it is for the burgesscs to say to-morrow whether or not Ins should be given the opportunity. .Our opinion is that it would he a mistake to exchange his services for those of Mr. Browne at this juncture. The latter has imperfections, we are aware, but no man can say that he has not an intimate knowledge of the affairs of the town; that he has not a prodigious capacity for work; that he has ever tried to advance his own interests or ambitions at the expense of the borough; that he could be capable of any log-rolling; or that his services during the past few years have not been of inestimable value to the town. To displace him now would be a most unwise thing, and we cannot think for a minute that New Plymouth will; but, on the contrary, that it will express its confidence in him more emphatically than ever.

cessor, King George, is worthily following in his father's footsteps in this matter. Ths auspicious occasion which prompted the visit of the King and Queen to Paris was the tenth anniversary of the entente or friendly agreements between the two countries and with Russia. There is, as everyone knows, a Triple Entente and a Triple Alliance, the former having for its object the promotion of intimate and cordial relations enabling the parties thereto to cc-operate in the humanitarian work of civilisation and peace, while the latter is a species of partnership in warlike affairs for the purpose of attack or defence. The only 'alliance of this venture entered into by Great Britain is with Japan, and that is restricted to Asiatic questions. The Triple Entente between England, France and Russia, while not entered into for the purpose, has, nevertheless, acted as a counterpoise to the Triple Alliance, and has become an effectivo guarantee for the peace of the world. It exists purely and simply as an evidence of mutual confidence; and friendship tending to the mutual advantage of the three Powers. While the Triple Alliance is a constant menace to peace, the Triple Entente is a mighty factor for peace. There was a time when Russia was allied with Germany, Austria and Italy, this being due to n nr-.aster stroke of Bismarck, the modern Machiavelli, who, however, over-reached himself and opened Russia's eyes to the danger of her position as a catspaw in Germany's hands. The result was that this alliance was of short duration, and England cannot be too thankful that this was so, for had the alliance continued it would have unquestionably led to one of the greatest wars in his- [ tory when Japan took the field against I Russia. Britain has no ally in Europe, I and it will be an evil day if ever this policy is altered. Both the French and ) Russian statesmen are sufficiently wise I to lend a deaf car to the suggestion of ! converting the Entente into an Alliance, j which would entail enormous responsibilities and dangers. It is infinitely I better and safer to continue the friendly feeling which makes for peace than enter into a compact that facilitates a war. As a matter of coutbc there are advocates of this conversion theory, and the solidarity of the amity between England and France, as evidenced by the outpouring of joy at the Royal visit to Paris, has afforded an opportunity * for the advocates of an Alliance to push j the question to the utmost extent. | Fortunately popular feeling and statesj manship are not on the same plane, so | that while it is very gratifying to find j that the peaceful policy adopted by j King and his son have found a ready acceptance as well as a lasting appreciation in the hearts of the French people, the Entente will remain and increase in strength, and this of itself should, as in the past, make for the maintenance of the world's peace. No doubt a section of British army officers would like to see an Alliance entered into, but the effect of such a step would be at once to necessitate a very large increase in the army, and very probably lead to war with Germany and her allies. Such an outlook is too terrible to contemplate, and public opinion would certainly bo unanimously opposed to such a course. It is the existence of the. Triple Alliance that necessitates Great Britain in keeping her navy superior to the naval forces of the Alliance. This is a vital necessity that is recognised, and acted upon, but if to tins enormous strain there be added the duty of enlarging the army so as to assist France or Russia the strain would be greater than could be borne. Far better, and | rr.ore honourable, is the work of main--1 taining peace. Strengthen the Entente by all legitimate means, hut the sentiment which underlies that beneficent understanding should never be allowed to be displaced by the more pretentious and dangerous substitute of a warlike Alliance.