Show ECONOMIC highlights those who follow national politics always watch local elections with close attention the policy that is 19 approved by voters of a village may in the fullness of time be the policy that is adopted in tile the scats scabs of the mighty at washington Dis approvals shown by voters will bo be reflected by their representatives in congress it Is in town city and state elections that the temper of the people is be best st reflected the recent off year elections were more than ordinarily significant what they showed is well summed up by dorothy thompson they furn furnish ish no sign that the american people want to turn the direction of their political affairs over to militant labor there Is no indication that they wish an increase in government ownership they show that there is a positive popular desire to curtal curtail government extravagances they also show that the voters are not much moved by hysterical screams creams of red and bolshevik 1 tabor labor as aa represented by the CIO bared ared badly indeed greatest labor hops were pinned on detroit where CIO candidates for mayor and city council survived the primaries maries 3 but all nvere defeated in other her industrial centers canton cleveland and akron ther mot a similar fate it Is true that mayor laguardia Guardia Ija of new york had la liora endorsement but he was ilso supported py the leading new papers and by influential business groups as well as labor groups because of his remarkable tight fight against tammany and his efficient and progressive stewardship of the city during his past term in office jacht on public sentiment toward spending is found in ill the vote on projected bond issues for every ono one approved about two were rejected the only two towns voting on proposals to erect municipal electric plants or to take over private plants decisively defeated the measures from the standpoint of partisan politics the elections are more difficult to guage republicans made gains but they were not largo large and occurred in areas where the republicans are in the majority as aa a rule and only lost control during the othe i great new deal sweep ot of last year ono one important sign of the times is tile the growing inclination of 0 the voters to back the man they believe the best irrespective of his party label this trend marks a hard blow to old time machine politics which depends for success on a straight ticket vote that approves all party nominees and disregards personalities to quote miss aliss thompson once more the elections show a public demand for humane government coupled with increasing honesty and sobriety |