THE COMING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1678, 19 February 1913, Page 6

THE COMING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

The only people in Wellington who appear to have been troubling themselves very much about tho coming municipal elections are the,returning officer and the leaders of the LabourSocialist party.' Mn. Ames, tho returning officer, has seen to the purging of the old roll and the removal of. the names of dead and departed citizens, which formed a riot incon : sidcrablo portion of the total, and the new roll will, -in consequence, contain a much smaller number 01 names than has been the case for some time past. Incidentally, many citizens whose names should be on tho roll will find that they are not there. This is no fault of tho.returning officer, but is.tho result of the citizoris in question having failed to record their votes at the last elections.' It is necessary, therefore, in order to be on tho safe side, that all citizens who' desire to cast their votes at the_ coming elections should-make it their business to' see; that their riataea are on the roll. In this connection it is about timo that the Municipal Electors' Association, began to bestir itself. In tho past the- organisation from' which the association has sprung has usually come into the field'. of action at a lato ' hour, and in consequence has been much less effectiyo than it otherwise might'nave been. The Labour-Socialist organisation is said to havo already been at work for some timo preparing tho way for its candidates and planning its campaign. What is tho Citizens' Association'doing? Ono of the first things requiring its attention is the question of the enrolment of . voters. This should be started on practically at once, and should be carried out Vith some attempt at system. _ At any rate, efforts should be instituted to make it clear that tho coming elections are likely to be stubbornly contested, and that unless the city is to be placed tinder the dominance of a Labour-Socialist combination there must be some attempt nt an organised campaign in opposition. Moreover, facilities should bo provided ns won as possiblo for electors to examine the roll, and, if their names

do not appear thereon, to afford them the opportunity of Eccuring enrolment with as little trouble as possible. It is an unfortunate fact that too often citizens, if left alone, will not bestir themselves in such matters until it is too late; and it is necessary, therefore, to bring their responsibilities directly under their notice! and to provide them with easy facilities for enrolment. It is quite time, also, that something was known about the probable candidates. Up to the presont, the only definitely announced aspirant to tho Mayoralty, apparently, is the Labour nominee, Mr. D. M'Larex, who 'seeks re-election. It was understood that Mr. T. M. Wilford would contest the office; and there is no doubt that lie would have had an excellent chauce of success against Mr. M'lmren; but he has now intimated that it is not his intention to stand on the present occasion. Mr. M'Laren was successful last year because of the number of his opponents; but in a straight-out fight it would be a. very different matter, provided the right sort of candidate were forthcoming. In the meantime, however, there is no one in the field to oppose Labour, and this delay .in securing a candidate may lead to a repetition of the bungle that won the victoi'y for Labour last year.