THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, APRIL 26, 1909. THE MAYORAL CONTENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3173, 26 April 1909, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, APRIL 26, 1909. THE MAYORAL CONTENT.

Somewhat unexpectedly a Mayoral contest has arisen, Cr Hunter having decided, at the last moment, to try conclusions with the present Mayor (Mr P. L. Hollings). Contested elections are generally productive/of and, as a rule, they indicate a healthy interest in public matters, but the circumstances which have led tu the contest in question were hardly of a character that will meet with the appreciation of ratepayers of thoughtful mind, or of citizens who take a keen interest in the genreal welfare of the town. Some weeks ago Cr Hunter intimated that he did not intend to seek to the Borough Council, but gibe and counter-gibe have resulted m the present contest, inro which there is reason to suppose feeling of a kind that is not desirable is entering to some extent. In accepting the Mayor's challenge, Cr Hunter has, in our opinion, adopted a right course indeed, it is difficult to see, having a proper for his reputation as a public man, how he could have done otherwise. The Mayor and Cr Hunter are decidedly at vanancs on the question of Borough finances, but their differences may not be of a very serious character. We have already expressed the opinion that the operations for the past year seem to have been satisfactory from the ratepayers' point of view, but, of course, it is impossible to come to any definite conclusion in the absence of a balance sheet. In the course of time the Borough balance sheet wLJI show exactly what has been dons, and to what extent economy has, ''■■ has not, been observed. A good deal of discussion is going on as to what amount the Borough overdraft has baen reduced, but the; point that is of real importance is, how far has the indebtedness of the Borough been reduced? It is quite possible for the Borough Council to have an overdraft considerably smaller at the 31st March than m'ght be the case twelve months previously, and at the same time to have effected but a trifling reduction in the indebtedness of the Borough. Will either the Mayor or Cr Hunter enlighten as on the point of whether there has been a reduction effected, during the past twelve months, in the Borough indebtedness? Moreover, if there has been, did the

Borough Council receive during the past twelve months a larger or a smaller revenue than for the twelve months previously? If the Mayor claims that economy has been observed, he should easily be able to substantiate his contention. If the cost of maintaining the Borough, and of administering its affairs, is of necessity greater than in past years, then it should be a perfectly simple matter to make this position, also, clear to the ratepayers. We have no sympathy with anyone who may endeavour to juggle with figures—it is a perfectly easy matter to place the whole position before the ratepayers in a concise and intelligible form, and it is the duty of those seeking the suffrages of the burgesses to act as we have indicated they should do- Economy in administration is certainly neededit is always needed—and the fact that times may be prosperous is no excuse, under any circumstances, for extravagance, at the same time, we quite agree with a remark made by Cr Yarr at his meeting on Saturday night last, when he stated that he did not favour the raising of a rate insufficient to meet the absolute needs of the Borough. It would certainly be folly to raise, by way of taxation, a sum so small that a substantial increase in the overdraft would result. Maaterton is a growing town—it possesses many miles of streets and footpaths, and its citizens enjoy various municipal conveniences—and it is\certainly the duty of those who are entrusted with the management of the citizens' affairs to raise by taxation a sum adequate to meet a reasonable annnual expenditure. Those who advocate a reduction in the general rate should bring forward carefully compiled estimates showing that their contention is both a reasonable and valuable one. In conclusion, we may remark that the only satisfactory feature so far in the Mayoral contest is that both aspirants > for office are deservedly respected by the public, and that whatevet the result of their electioneering may be, it will be possible to congratulate the town upon its Mayor.