THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 1912. TO-DAY'S ELECTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10616, 24 April 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 1912. TO-DAY'S ELECTION.

(The, burgesses of Mafiterton have au important dutf to perform to-day. They have to select a. Chief Magistrate who shall preside over the civic affairs of the Borough for the next '(twelve months. For two years the citizens have Hot ihad an opportunity ktl recording their votes in a Mayoralty emotion, the s'tbing Mayor, who wxmpied the -chair on two previous oc(ca/sions, having been returned unopposed. On the present occasion. Mr T. 0. Howu, who has served on the .[Borough Council for several years, Bind Who has, perhaps, been the most ■outspoken .Goimdll'or at tJie table, is 1 (Seeking the more respon.sibk' position !of Mayor. Tlliere is a feeling j n tilie itowtt that the present occupant of /the chair, assidruous though ho may ,Qia,ve been, has not doiw justice either ifco Iwmiselif or the Borough during the kusfc year oV two. He has not, it is .thougfht, displayed that strict impartiality and dignity which one- lias a right to expect of the Mayor of an ''important Borough. Nor has ho dis-

tingarished himself in Ihe handling of | the affairs which have oomo before I the Council from, time to time. It is ibruo that no important .projects, other than the unsavoury northern approach™, have been before the Gounici'l. But in the smalt matters Mr Coradine has shown himself petulant and overbearing, no has had aii excellent team of Councillors to work with, but he lias afforded room for tfho Kuspir-ion that he has usurped the functions of the Council and has got tho idea into h:s head that he is the Alpha and Omega- of the civic fatlher'lhood. Tire assumption of such an atifeifcud© by the Mayor of a town is not in tho interests of good and wholesome government. As was pointed out in a previous article in this paper, a man who occupies the position of Chief Magie-trate should have- _ a judicial mind, and exercise the strictest impartiality and dignity in all hie public dealings. It is for the burgesses to say to-day whether they consder Mr Coradine has filled these requirements. His attitude on the platform on Friday night last, when he asserted that his opponent was the .ieaelt firtitisd of the whole of the Counoilliors to occupy the Mayoral chair, was by no mcaais dignified or becoming. Whatever ethortcomirigs -Mr Hoar may have, he has the satisfaction of knowing that he was elected to the Council by the burgesses. "'The'. ungenerous remarks of the Mayor may not only be construed as an insult to'.'a Councillor who: has' been, doling his beet, without reward, to advance -the, interests of the town, but aks' an 'unwarranted reflection upon the ttitelligcnoe" of the burgesses. Mr Hoar might not be a particularly strong man as Mayor. He would, at anyrate, "be energetic, impartial and painstaking, and lie has promised to use Iris best efforts for the welfare of the community. No harm could be done by giving him twelve months in (the chair. preferment df « • Councillor would be an encourageinvent to the beet men of the town to .render service* ini /the Council. The (position cf Mayor should not be regarded as one in perpetuity. The honour (for Such it is) should go round, and.those who are willing to give their services gratuitously to the community should have their services recognised. It is gratifying to ' fluid that the interests of the ratepayers in municipal matters has been {quickened by the spirited contest J which closes to-day, and whether he ([ be returned or not, Mr Hoar will have j'the satisfaction of knowing that be has done his part in arousing the burtjheir lethargy. We can only express th© hope-that- any- feeling engendered iby the contest will be allowed to die when the result of the rpoll is known.