MUNICIPAL ELECTION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1650, 17 January 1913, Page 6

MUNICIPAL ELECTION.

LABOUR PARTY'S CAMPAIGN.

>i,THE CITY LIGHT SUPPLY.

Labour's campaign .in tho, forthcoming municipal elections was discussed at ft meeting of the Wolliiigton Trades Council last night. Altogether; twenty-six candidates have been 'nominated for tho City Council, and from theso fifteen will ba selected to stand as tho Labour ticket. Tho secretary was instructed last night to proceed with a preliminary ballot of members of unions affiliated - to the Trades Council, and ■ tho ballot papers aro to be returnable before February 20. Mr. A. H. Hindinarsh, M.P., had been suggested as a possiblo rival of Mr. D. Jl'Laren as tho Labour candidate for tho Mayoralty, but ho declined to accept nomination, and, Mr. M'Lareri will bo tho only Labour candidate, The council decided also to contest all tho fourteen seats on tho Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, and tho four vacant seats on tho Harbour Board at tho next elections. . . \;..." . . ; Tho management xsi the council was authorised, to proceed immediately with the preparation of a petition for tho taking of a Saturday half-holiday poll within tho city and suburbs. "'■...'

After tho meeting, Mr. M. J. Eeardon/ president of the council, inado a statement to a Dominion reporter astoxtho council's policy with'regard to the City Electric Lighting Department. : "It was i decided," lib said, "to make a.special point during tho election'campaign of tho fact that the electric lighting venture of-, tho. City Corporation is not being carried out in a business-liko manner. It was.pointed out that a littlo over two years ago, the Electric Lightin-j Department-opened•• a. shop in Willis Street for tho display and sale of electrical appliances,' to bo worked, in conjunction with tho, electric light supply. The shop was opened in.premises which were the property of tho City'. Council, and it was admitted that during the time it was kept open it justified-its existence. But a few weeks after businoss was commenced a deputation of electricians, headed by Mr. T. Ballinger, waited upon tho then Mayor (Mr. ,T. M. Wilford) and protested against the corporation entering into competition with private business men. v Tho Mayor talked largely about the public interest, and conveyed to the deputation tKo, impression' that. ho was utterly opposed to their representations. "A few weeks later,;however, the town clerk notified tho. Electrical Engineer (Mr. Stuart Rii-hafdsbn) 'thai the , shop had been taken by some dthcr tenant,' and gave the Department notice to quit. They' tore out their fittings and took their electrical appliances to tho back rtom of their Harris Street offices, where they still remain. -Tho worst feature of the business at that time was that for some months afterwards the - shop remained einnty in Willis'Street, with a. "To Let" notice in the window., The excuse made by tho Department in reply to thb'ropresentations made by. mo was that tlwv were looking'for ai more suitable shop. They are still looking {or that shop.' " "Also, when tho Harris Street premises were taken over from-the Electric Light Company, the company, had a very attrac-tive'show-room alongside their pay counter. That display has 1 now disappeared, and there is not oven a sign on the wall 1 ' to show a .visitor, what, direction to goto find tho electrical, appliances." ■