THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 1912. MASTERTON MAYORALTY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10618, 25 April 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 1912. MASTERTON MAYORALTY.

The biittfe has been fought and won. Mr J. M. Ooradine has been returned by a substantial majority, and we 'hasten to .-congratulate, him. The re T sulit would fliava been more satisfactr ory had the burgesses turned out in anyitflriiig like reasbnablti .numbers to vote. As it happens, less than onethird of tlhose c'ii the roll recorded' tlheir votete, and less than one-fifth s'howed [their apreeia'tiion of the past services of. the M'avc.'r by supporting him at the .poll. A victory in such oircuinstances, and against an opponent whom Mr Coradha was ipleased to desbrihe as the least fitted CknmciMor to till !the Mayoral cliair, can hardly be regarded with satisfaction. It is

quit© evident titiat a large section of tilie community,'abstained--from voting because they were not tatisfied with either candidate.. However, Mr Corndine- has secured the verdict at the

poll, a'nd ho will be the presiding Magistrate, for the ensuing twelve months. It is sincerely to Imj hoped that lie will devote himsdf. conscientiously and impartially to the discharge of the. important functions of his high office. If he does so, as he lias promised to do, (lie can depend upon, the hearty co-operation, of this paper, and the support of the coinmunDty as a .who'le. in. the content which has just ended, the "Age/' assumed a ■neutral attitude tili the very last, when it was compelled, from a■ sheer sense of >fa ! :r play, to defend the ■ weaken." candidate against what it regarded as unfair treatment. Whatever may be .tho popular feeling for or against- a man, we hope that we rfia-51 never to found condoning, by cu.r silence, exhibitions of petulance cr coarse personality on the pairt -of tkicce. -wfcjo aspire to public positions. It is the peculiar (function cf a newspaper to protect the weak,'as it is to defend the strong. And, so far as ■ijho "Ago" is eonjoei-ned, it will not hesitate to condemn Mayors, Councilors, or other public personages wiho, do not "play the game." JS T or wall itbe found lacking in i.te ""apreciation of those- who devote themselves' honestly and sincerely to the performance of public duties. There-are too few people'who are willing to sacrifice them'sellves for the good of the commtutnc'fty, aaid when these are to be found), tbey-doscTve every encouragement the newspaper pa-ess can give Itan. So'far as the defeated candidate at yesterday's poll is concerned, we canhiot but congratulate him upWm the excellent .stand he made in the circumstances. Considering that he is , : a comparatively young, man. in municipal matters,-"that he was formidable- opponent, and that he did not receive the assistance from his ! friends that he had a right to expect, Mr EJoar prilled remarkably well. The burgesses of Maisterton can hardly be congratulated 'Upon t3ie interest they •manifest in public matite/rs-. The poll yeet-ei'day was so miserably small as ,to indicate 'fill- astounding; indift'ereiice to thCiVeifarp .and progress-of the. ;t)owii sand distinct.- • : \ ■•'J?osE.itily ■ * 'wheiv i the'XaSour Party becomes ■ thoroughly' j organised-,- and ■ gets to work aV it did at' "£he,, Sc'hooi Committee election on p Monday aiighft,.the ratepayers will"sec tllie necessity for'arousing themselves I from their lethargy.