THE COMING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1708, 27 March 1913, Page 4

THE COMING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

As usual, citizen's do not appear to be interesting themselves overmuch in the municipal elections which arc to bo hold next month. The Labour I'arty has_ been actively organising 1 for somo time past, and professes to be very hopeful of securing the control of tho city's affairs. It is Worth noting in this respect that the Labour candidate for the Mayoralty, Mr. D. M'Lauen, will have tho fidvantage of. working with a full ticket of candidates for the council. Every effort will be made by the labour leaders to secure the election of tho whole of their candidates, including, of epiu'se, the Mayor; and their supporters will be urged to vote "the ticket." On the other side there is little organisation, and candidates not. on the Labour ticket will be lighting singly or in small groups, Labqjir irjay i;iun bomplJuihj on (bin account, and it in just as well that

citizens who realise the danger attached to the control of the affairs of the city passing completely into the hands of the present leaders of the so-called Labour movejnent should fare the position squarely, and set to work.to avert that evil. Organised Labour, or at least that portion of it which is most active nowadays in political affairs, is no longer the trades unionise' which this country has coino to regard as representing Labour. It is something very different masquerading in the same guise: it is very little short of Socialism plain unadulterated. The Federation of Labour appears to have not only absorbed the so-called United Labour Party, but it has somehow managed to instil most of the leaders' of that party with its own noxious doctrines. How many of the Labour candidates at the coniifig municipal elections are prepared to disown the Unity Congress programme? Mr. M'Lahen apparently is not. Will lie oppose the proposed plank in its constitution which sets out the objective of the "Social-Democrats" as being "the spcialisation of the collectivelyowned means of production, distribution, and exchange"? In due course, perhaps, Mr. M'Laren will answer that question. Tlio electoral rolls will close within the next few days', and citizens who are concerned at all about tho government of the municipality should not delay in getting their 'pantos placed thereon. It should be borne in mind that they will on this occasion not only be-called 011 to vote for the election of Ufayor and councillors, but also for the.pleetion of _ Harbour Board and Charitable Aid Board members, and to decide also the question of whether or not the weekly half-holiday shall be op Saturday qf pacji week.,