WEDNESDAY’S FIGURES

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20497, 13 May 1938, Page 6

WEDNESDAY’S FIGURES

The people, or at least a very considerable section of them, are waiting for some official statement from Labour headquarters regarding the results of the elections on Wednesday. In the course of his presidential address to the recent Labour conference, Mr J. Roberts said: “There was another very important election in the near future—the elections of local body members.” They were important, he added, because they believed that Labour candidates were more capable administrators and more in line with the wishes of the people. Then they would implement any legislation enacted by a Labour Government, and finally “the people should have a voice in the administration.” But what Mr Roberts said was “the most important part” was that if the results favoured their opponents they would be used in their general election campaign. “If we succeed,” he said, “and I know we will, our success at the local body elections will be used by the Labour movement also with good effect.” That statement seems to make it necessary for the spokesmen of the partj* to state how they regard the results. In the larger centres Labour has lost ground. The reverse in Dunedin was very evident, and a majority in Auckland has been lost. In some of the suburban areas the party has been more successful, but taken throughout probably many more seats have been lost than won. The question can be put to Mr Roberts, and to the party leaders for the invasion of the local arena by a political party came from their side. Can the results be used “with good effect?” It would appear to be proved that the people object to political divisions in the sphere of local affairs. They apparently wish the local authorities to concentrate their activities on what are purely domestic matters, and not try to make them the means of implementing any political policy. Obviously they were not “more in' line with the wishes of the people than the candidates of the other side” in this respect at least, and it can still be said, despite Mr Roberts’s declaration, that “the people have a voice in the administration.” The local bodies were elected by the people, unless the president of the party draws some distinction that others fail to observe. Perhaps the matter is not of much moment, but as the appeal was made by Mr Roberts it would be interesting to have his views on the results.