AFTER THE BATTLE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1738, 1 May 1913, Page 6

AFTER THE BATTLE.

HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED. SPEECHES BY CANDIDATES. About a hundred people, many of whom were Labour party members, waitod to hear the result of the election outside Hie door o; the returning officer's room on tile first, floor lauding of the Town Hall. "When it was definitely known that Mr. Luke had secured a majority aud before the result had been formally announced, two of his supporters caught him up and carried him shoulder-high downstairs to the outer vestibule of the hall. A crowd of electors followed, cheering loudly as they went. Before he was permitted to speak from the Town Hull steps, Mr. Luke was noisily felicitated by a number of his supporters and quietly by his wife and daughter, who appeared at this stage, and took their stand beside him. The assemblage numbered some three or four hundred persons.

SPEECH BY THE MAYOR-ELEGT. THE ISSUES AT STAKE. Tho Mayor-elect was again loudly applauded and cheered M he began to speak. "Fellow-electors," he said, "I wish to thank you for tho fact that, up lo now, the intimation has been that 1 have been selected by you for the position of Mayor tor the coming year. Let me say that I appreciate from the bottom of my heart the very great kindness you have displayed, and the conlidence that you have reposed in mo." In regard to liis opponent, he continued, his feeling was one of good-fellowship. Mr. Luko said that, lie wanted to pay a compliment to the people who had assisted in this campaign. There had been a desire manifested to advance the progress of tho city from a broad basis and not from one of class representation. He stood before them and challenged any man or woman in the city to say that he had not been a good employer. His heart bent as truly with the working man as that of any man in this city. (Hear, hear.) The city was at the commencement of a new era. He had stood in opposition to certain forces, which had declared that they would capture the administration of this city. In fighting his campaign he had kept clear of persoualfties, and there had been no politics in his campaign. Mr.' Luke mentioned that at the two last council elections, which he had contested, he had topped tho poll. Ho had served the city also in other capacities. It had been his intention to contest the Mayoralty at the previous election, but Mr. John Smith had asked him not to stand, because it was his (Mr. Smith's) last chance of contesting tho Mayoralty. He had replied: "Mr. Smith, there is my hand on it. I have still a few years ahead of me, God willing, and I will wait, but I claim the right to contest tho Mayoral election next year." It had been said, Mr. Luke continued, that he had 110 right lo contest too election, because his opponent had had only one year of office. To this he would reply that tho Scotch pilots in Dupcdiii always determined -that their Mayor should have ouly one year of office. For the last twenty-five" years no Mayor of Dunedin had field office for more than one year unless the retiring Mayor secured reelection on this occasion. This was his answer to the suggestion tha't he tVas doing something un-British and not right. This city -was going to declare, he believed, in all its life and activities, for a broad basis, and not for one of small class distinction. He wanted to pay a tribute to his wife, daughter, and family for the interest that they had had in this campaign, and to thank every man and every woman who had assisted him. Ho knew what the feelings of his opponent wero on this occasion, because in the past he had felt it himself. His feeling towards Mr. M'Laren was that, of a brother, and if he could serve him in any way he would certainly do it. (Cheers ami applause.) At the call of Mr. Luke, cheers were given for Mr. M'Laren and for Mrs. M'Laren, and. 'then three cheers wero given for Mrs. Luke. MR. D. M'LAREN. THE LABOUR PARTY'S STANDPOINT. "Where's Dave?" someono inquired at this stage, and tho defeated candidate stepped forward, accompanied by Mrs. M'Laren, remarking, "1 am hero witli my partner." (Cheers and applause.) "I think yon will recognise," said Mr. M'Laren, "that whatever the result of this battle, I have put up tho fight of my life, and tliat I have had against me tremendous odds in money and in influonce of one kind and ano'ther. I have iiad lo meet more than any Labour man lias ever had to meet in this country. But, in spite of all that, I submit to tho people of Wellington that throughout this campaign I have fought it absolutely clean. (Hear, hear.) lain not going to deal with matters that arose during the election because I don't think it wise after a contest is over to rake up matters of that kind. I can take a defeat just as I be generous in the hour of vietory. If at any time anyone made refer- ' ence to the payment of wages by Mr. Mike's firm it was not done with my authority, and certainly I did no such tiling. (Hear, hear.) lam very grateful indeed to tho members of the, Labour party, anil not merely to tho members of the Labour party, but to all the people who cast for me at this election 918b votes. (Hear, ln-ar.) I think there must be something wrong with the arithmetic of any portion of the community which can speak of a vote of over 9000 as being that of a small or insignificant section.

A Record Poll, "This has been a con'.i-t in which we have had great forces contending with one another, ami there has been polled a larger vote than lias ever before Iwen polled at a municipal election in this city. Allow me to say that during the twelve years when 1 had the honour of being a member of tho A\ ollinpton City Council, I urged upon the citizens of Wellington that they should take a more deep and earnest interest in the civic affairs of their own city, and develop its institutions for the benefit of the body of the people of Wellington. That being so, I claim to-night that the result of this election is a substantial victory for Labour in this rnspeet, that it has roused the people of Wellington to a deeper and hi«her interest in municipal affairs than they have ever displayed 011 any previous occasion. 1 don't regard the result of this election as » defeat at all, but, in the language of Mr. Luke, "who has been successful. I would say that it is the beginning of a new era, a new era with the democracy of this city asserting themselves from now oil in. a stronger and more determined fashion than they have ever done in the past. 111 this now era I hope that there will be 110 individual who will strike a man in the back at the eleventh hour, as I was struck last night. •\n elector: But yuu boat him after all, Mac!" , . , ~ Mr. M'Laren: 1 beat him in the ? ense of tho man who takes a mornl stand and (Mils 011 clean lines, fiueli a man can never be defeated, because ho retains his self-respect and character, and that, alter 'all, is the- most valuable thing that a man can possess. Mr. M'Laren thanked •the members of the Labour party and all who had voted for him, and mentioned in particular, the secretary of the Labour party (Mr. liearden). lie considered that this contest had really commenced at the previous election. (Hear, hear.) He had been subjected ever since to the antagonism of a portion of the press of the city, and it was most actively manifested at a time when he was absent from Wellington on holiday and could not reply to the criticism levelled at him. Mr. M'Laren next paid a tribute, to tho manner in which ho had been supported durin" the whole of this contest by his good wife. 11l her he had a partner whom he was proud to have standing lieside him that day. . At this stage Mr. M'Laren was interrupted while his auditors gave tlireo cheers for Mrs. M'Laren. Continuing, Mr. M'Laren said that this was contest of the democracy against powers that were bulwarked by interests that had come down through 'the ages. In order that economic barriers might bo cast down, the democracy found it necessary to struggle with these interests, not only in this city, but throughout the countrv.' It had been said tluit the Labour candidates wero only out to represent the interests of a class, but the figures of tho poll showed tha't nearly ono half the pcoplo of this city held views that coine.idcd with the Labour party's policv. .lust as heartily as Mr. Luke had sympathised with him he congratulated his opponent. This had not been a fight between persons at all, but a (iueslion of opposing principles and uow-

nrs. JIo was confident that t'ne working ' population must come to its own in this and olher countries, in order that humanilv might be lifted to tho highest level. Finally Mr. M'Laren said that ho hoped lo enter the tight again. He would havo as much pleasure in doinp what ho could lo servo 1 Jip city in hi* private capacity as ho had had in il as a public man. Concluding, lie called for cheers for Mr. and Mrs. Luke. These wore given, ;\ul were followed by chcers for Mr. and Mrs. M. Laren. AN AFTER MEETING. OHEKHS AND HOOTS JN WILLIS STREKT. Aftprwiirds speeches wore delivered by Me.-wrs. Lulcc and M'Laren from the "Evening Post" balcony in Willis Street, in front of which a dcn«e crowd of about two thousand people hail assembled. Here noises and tiuntiU reigned in place ol tho riuiot hearing which had been accorded 1 lie speakers at the Town Hall. Scattered through tho crowd were many knots and sections of people who seemed to be determined lo make as much noise as they could in a given time. Cheers aud hoots, cat-calls, and counting-out, made a deafening chorus. Mr. Luke was so often interrupted that ho was only nolo to deliver a .speech ui the fragmentary character. Mr. M'Laren got a. quieter hearing, but he also was subjected to frequent interruptions. When Mr. Luke appeared he was saluted with a long-continued roar in which cheers and hoots were about equally I mingled. After a time he was heard to ! remark that he wished heartily to thank the people for returning him at the head of tho poll. . Cat-calls and count ing-out supervened, and after another interval Mr. Luke was heard to say: "Your refusal to listen to me doesn't, concern me one bit. Mrs. Luke bv this' time was standing beside her husband. Hut tho row showed no tendency to diminish. Mr. and Mrs. M'Laren appeared on the. balcony and wore greeted with applause, cheers, and hoots. Someono handed a little Union .Tjiclc to Mr. Luke and he waved it over the'heads ol the crowd. Chcerii\g only was now heard, but varied noises broke out afresh when the flag had been passed in. "We want M'Laren\" vociferated a section of the crowd. "The people have declared that they want Luke!" retorted the Mayor-elect. More uproar followed, but Mr. Luko was able to get a hearing while ho'spoko a few sentences. He said that he was there to represent tho whole of the citizens and not one class or section. He regarded his election as an indication that a majority o? the people of Wellington appreciated representation freo from sectional bias. More uproar followed, but at Mr. Luke's call cheers were given for his onnonont. Mr. Luke now retired, and Mr. M'Lareii essayed to address the neople. Ho was received in his turn with a mingled uproar of cheers and hooting, but tile noise presently died away. Mr. M'Laren said that he did not propose lo sneak at any length because lie had already spoken on the steps of the Town Hall. Mr. M'Laren went on to cover some of tho ground covered in his previous address and was repeatedly cheered and applauded. Uproar arose, however, when he said that a battle was going on between tho working population and certain vested interests. Soon afterwards Mr. M'Laren was loudly counted out, but afterwards he was allowed to continue arid conclude his speech almost uninterrupted save by applause.