THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 1908. MR HOLLINGS'S MAYORAL ADDRESS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9067, 16 April 1908, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 1908. MR HOLLINGS'S MAYORAL ADDRESS.

Mr P. L. Hollings is to be congratulated upon having in good time opened the Mayoral election campaign. It is due to the ratepayers that the candidates for the Mayoralty should place their claims for election before them at the earliest possible moment to enable them to guage the respective merits of the contestants, and upon that score the ratepayers have no cause for complaint against Mr Hollings; but in his address on Tuesday he traversed matters which were of a personal nature, and should have been left untouched. The many important public questions that have been brought forward, and the attitude of the Council in the past towards those questions surely provided sufficient scope for his remarks. Criticism can be vigorous without being personal, and we are inclined to deplore the introduction of the personal element. Going into the rights and wrongs of the position in connection with the treatment of certain officials, is likely to divert the burgesses'attention from the more important public questions. What we desire to see is that the town shall be served first, last, and always. All other matters are of secondary consideration. Apart from the personal references alluded to, wo are in accord with Mr Hollings's attitude in confining his initial address to criticism of the doings of the Council. It is somewhat refreshing to find an outspoken critic upon the public platform in connection with the discussion of local municipal affairs. We do not

think that at this stage of the contest it is incumbent upon Mr Hollings to divulge his policy. His opening address was trenchant and telling as an indictment of the conduct of the Council during the past year, and we look forward with much interest to Mr Coradine's reply to what Mr Hollings has had to say. Mr Hollings will no doubt, have something to say in rejoinder, and will submit at the same time his municipal pol icy. Katepayei-s will thus be in a position to judge as to which of the two candidates they should confer the office of Masterton's Mayoralty upon. Meanwhile, we trust that the more important questions will be kept on top, personal matters left in the background.