The Daily Times. The oldest Manawatu journal: Established 1875. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 7, 1883. MAYORAL ELECTIONS.

Manawatu Times, Volume IX, Issue 403, 7 November 1883, Page 2

The Daily Times. The oldest Manawatu journal: Established 1875. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 7, 1883. MAYORAL ELECTIONS.

The following remarks from the Dnnedin Star regarding the Dun-« edin Mayoral election are so thor* oughly to the point that they apply with equal force to similar elections throughout the colony : — On the last Wednesday m the month of November it -will be the duty of the bnrgesses of this City to elect a Mayor for the ensuing twelve months. There are already m the field four candidates, three of whom are m some measure known to the public m their capacity as City Councillors. With regard to the relative qualifications of these gentlemen, and the other candidate, Mr Watt, for the position to which they aspire, we can say nothing at present; since really we do not know what there is to choose between them. Neither can be said to have made his mark m any special manner; nor m tbeir published addresses do they intimate their views m regard to municipal questions; We think it is highly desirable they should do so without much further delay, so that the ratepayers may know what they are about m supporting this or that candidate. It is most unsatisfactory that the contest for the civic chair should be a mere joining of issue of personal influences — a little battle of cliques. This has been too often the case m Dunedin, with the natural consequence that, once seated m the chair, the new Mayor just moves m the old groove, and no life or spirit is infused into the deliberations of the Council. We should like to Bee this important office keenly contested on distinct principles — the party of progress marshalled against the ndvoc&tm oi Jetting toga ilide

— those who would maintain hopeless stagnation against active reformers. # * * # # * .* Our argument and contention are that the candidates who court the ! suffrages of tbe burgesses should m justice to them declare their municipal politics previous to the nomination day, when it will be too Jate for other citizens to come forward. If it be found that these peutlema i are not up to the mark, and are not inclined to grapple with pressing ques* tions, but on the contrary merely look forward to discharge the routine dntiesofthe office with ease and decorum, surely Borne citizen will be found to fill the breach. We have spokci pretty plainly, because it has noi infrequently been, the case m Dunedin that the mayoral election campaign has been carried out by private canvassing without aby public testing of the qualities of the candidates before they were actually nominated. This is not as it should be for man/ obvious reasonß,andaffordea veritable instance of " buying a pig m a poke.' ' "Vhe body of electors have a right to know on what grounds candidates offer themselves ; and m the present instance ifc seems somewhat to the point that the three councillors, at all events, should state what differences of opinion induce them to op-> pose each other.