THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 1908. TO-DAY'S MAYORAL CONTEST.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9077, 29 April 1908, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 1908. TO-DAY'S MAYORAL CONTEST.

To-day the burgesses; of Masterton are called upon to decide as to which of the two candidates for the Mayoralty —Mr J. M. Coiradine, the present Mayor, and Mr P. L. Hollings—shall be placed at the head of the Municipality for the next twelve months. The occasion is a more than usually important one, because of the extensive works proposed to be undertaken, and the financial interests involved. The ratepayers huve been afforded a very full opportunity of becoming acquainted with the views of the and the final issue rests with them. Before casting their votes, th?y should carefully raview the municipal work of the past year, and consider whether the Mayor has deserved a renewal of their confidence, or whether his opponent has made out a better claim upon their suffrages. The question of selection should be dealt with dispassionately and solely for the good of the municipal commonwealth. There should not be any question of party in a matter of this kind. Every member of the community is interested in the welfare of the Borough,

whether ratepayer or merely resident, and it behoves every ratepayer ' to remember that a serious trust is reposed in him in the disposal of his vote. All private interests or personal prejudices should, therefore, be set aside, and votes cast only for the good of all. We trust this will be the principle upon which to-day's election will be decided. It has to be remembered that every resident of the Borough is in a position similar to that of a member of a jointstock company, in which careful and competent management, resulting in progress and. ; prosperity, spells dividends, and incompetence or incapai city results in calls— which in the case of the borough means increased rates. The pocket of each individual in the borough i 3 concerned just as certainly in the case of municipal management as in the commercial management of the concern a shareholder has invested his money in. If ratepayers bear this in mind, some may fall into individual error in the matter of voting, but they will not have committed a wrong whatever the ultimate result of their action.