THE LOCAL BODIES ELECTIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 April 1919, Page 4

THE LOCAL BODIES ELECTIONS.

The interest being taken in the municipal, Hospital Board and Harbor Board elections in New Plymouth is a healthy manifestation, showing that the'public are awakening to a sense of their responsibilities in these important public matters. A town or province is very largely what the people make it, and in a province situated like this, and where Nature has showered her blessing with such bounteous hands, there is hardly a limit to what can be done, providing the right spirit and energy—and, let us add, co-Operation—exist. So far as the municipal elections are concerned, we have an embarrassment of riches, no fewer than fifteen gentlemen coming forward for the eight seats. Some of the old councillors again offer their services. They are Messrs. Jas. Clarke, W. A. Collis, J. W. Hayden, W. P, Short and F. J. Hill—men who have rendered faithful and efficient service in the past, Mr. Jas Clarke in particular, as chairman of the electric lighting committee, and he deserves on that account to be placed on the top of the poll. The Labor Party is putting forward a "ticket" of four, Which must be judged, not on its personnel, but on its platform. Some of it is practical; most of it is impracticable. It wants cheaper tram fares. This can only be done by ratepayers making ujl the loss out of rates. The tramways are a business concern, and must be run on business lilies for them to be justified. "Good housing for all"—that is a finesounding plank, but how is it to be realised? Everywhere there is an unsatisfied demand for houses. Private enter-; prise will not build, so We must turn elsewhere for a solution. We prefer a comprehensive scheme undertaken by the Government on the lines followed by the Imperial Government. "Full and pure milk supply; and municipal food supplies" —this sounds all right, but how is it to be done? The Labor Party will move, if elected, "That a committee be set up at once for the purpose of the municipality controlling and ensuring a full milk supply for the people at the earliest possible moment." If the Labor Party first of all addressed itself to organising the supplies, and saw that the present duplication and waste of effort were removed and a proper system of inspection instituted, more headway, we think, would be made. To saddle the borough with the ownership arid control of food supplies might not produce the results anticipated, and might very easily land the borough into a heavy loss, which ratepayers would again have to bear. "Electrical supplies at lowest possible price" —this plank is really what the electrical department is now doing—certainly not before time. We believe that this department should launch out more than it has been able to in the past, and facilitate in every possible way the use of electricity for heating and cooking. "Municipal pictures"—The Labor Party desires the speedy national control of pictures, from the camera to the screen —a pretty big undertaking that no one who has any knowledge of the intricacies and difficulties of the industry would care to impose on any Government. No town in New Zealand is better catered for in the matter of pictures tha.n New Plymouth, which gets anything of merit that comes to the Dominion, and with the rising cost of the services private enterprise cannot make fat profits. How a municipality could, with its more ex-

pensive management, can be left to the Labor Party to explain. We are largely sympathetic to Labor's legitimate aims and objects, but the Labor Part}' must put forward common-sense and practical —not visionary—proposals before it can hope to get the support it asks for. We believe it is desirable that the party should have representation on local bodies, if for no other reason than that association with the work on which the men would be called upon to engage tyould assist them materially, and largely alter their viewpoint ih connection with many matters of which they now show an elementary and imperfect knowledge. At the same time we trußt that the burgesses will exercise judgment and discrimination in their selection, and appoint to the council and the boards the men who have been tried and not found wanting either on the bodies to which they are aspiring or in their private capacities.