AFTER THE BATTLE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2136, 30 April 1914, Page 8

AFTER THE BATTLE

SPEECHES OP CANDIDATES STRIKE THE MAIN ISSUE. As soon as the final result was known at the Town Hall, the Returning Officer (Mr. J. Ames) announced the figures from the front door steps, and immediately afterwards the Mayor elect and the other two candidates addressed a small crowd, which swelled in a very few minutes from' about 20to perhaps 200. It was a' well-behaved orderly crowd, and there was little hooting or aiiytliins of the sort. Later the candidates spoke from the "Evening Post" balcony to a very much bigger crowd of probably upwards of 3000 people. There the cheering and hooting was practically continuous, and always loud, so that there was probably not a person in the street who heard one sentenfco that any u.ne of tjlio. 'three speakers uttered.

THE MAYOR ELECT. AN ENDORSEMENT OF HIS ACTIONS'. When Mr. Luke stood forward to speak at the Town Hall ho was greeted with three .cheers and applause. Mr. Luke thanked the electors for tho support that had been accorded to him. Ho regarded tho fact that he had been returned at the head of the poll, he said,, as an indication that tho work he had done iu connection with the City Council and outsido of it had met with tlio approval of tho citizens of Wellington, and also his success was a tribute to tho sustained energy of the ladies and gentlemen who had been associated with him right throughout the campaign, and even beforo the campaign opened. A spirit of goodwill had prcvuiud in the election. There had been on all hands a desiro to allow people to declare by their votes whom they preferred, and whom they desired to fill the Mayoral chair during tho year. Ue wished to congratulate Mr. Glover and Mr. M'Laren on'the manner in which the campaign had been conducted by thorn. The declaration of the people of AVellington had been that they believed in and wished to uphold the general constitution of society in the country as it was at present. There was no desire to depart materially from tho methods of municipal government at 'oreseut folloivcd in this citv. Hn fp.lt. wry muc:i indeed tho weight of the responsibility cast upon him. He had felt it during tho _ year just closed, and Jio felt it in a larger measure that night. Ho could say that ho would labour to the 'best of his ability for tho welfare of every cue ii\ the community, as he had endeavoured to <lo in the past. He would not stand for any particular class, and he hoped that according to his ability his etfoTts would be appreciated, and that ho would be given credit for working in a spirit of fairness and with an unbiased mind. Mr. Luke called for three cheers for his two opponent's, and the cheers were given heartily. Afterwards he paid a special tribute- to his wii'o for the loyal support she had given him in his year of oiliro aucl during the campaign. At his call three cheers were given for the returning officer (Mr. Amos) and then the crowd cheered 'Mr. Luke again.

MR. M'LAREH. "EXPECTED IT WOULD HA VIS BEEN LAHGEIt/ , Mr. H'Laren said he wished to return his sincere thanks for the. vote that had been given to him lLat day, although, to ho perfectly candid, he had expected it would have been a larger one. Ho wished to say at the sumo time that he considered that tho result of tho poll had been largely duo to a certain industrial trouble that had occurred l in the city. He was sure that this largo question had so agitated the public mind that probably somo of tho work in which ho hud boon engaged as a public man had been lost sight of. He made no -complaint after the contest. Ho believed his fellow citizoiiK recognised that he could fight a clean liejit, and also meet defeat with equanimity. Although excluded from, public .office, he was prepared to say, as he had said a year ago, that whatever ho could do as a private citizen to further tho interests of tho city he would bo readj to do. 110 had endeavoured io fight a clean light, and ho had recognised that the issue of tho strike, which had bcon raised, was going to be an exceedingly important factor in sivaying tho light. The decision had not, he thought, beengiven with regard to municipal work that- he had taken part in, but it- had been a dreision of tho community ot;ninst. the strike method in industrial disputes, and in favour of maintaining the- policy of a constitutional line of action. As far a? that decision of the elwtora was concerned, he, as one who believed in a constitutional line of mo tion at. all times, was pleased tint that policy had been endorser!. He also snid that the contest had not been on his part a personal one with Mr. Luke or Mr. olover. He wished to say that throughout the light there had been an avoidance of much that was at times of a. very unhappy character sometimes attached to public elections. Ha 1 hanked liis supporters for the vote recorded in his favour. Perhaps on some future occasion ho might he allowed to s,nrv(> tho city in some public capacity, and when the occasion offered he would hf ready to offer his services. . Hβ called for cheers for Mr. Luke, which -were

giveu readily, and then tlirco cheers lor tin; Mayoress, which were also given. When cheers were given for Airs. Luke one man "booed" offensively, to Mr. M'Laren's evident disgust. lie hastened to say "Xo man ever hoots a woman," and the statement evoked applause. Cheers and applause were given for Mr. M'Laren when lie censed speaking.

MR. CLOVER. "AHE WE DOWN-'EARTED?" "Are we down-'earted?" said Mr. Clover by way of introducing lihnsclf. Tho response "No" was given in one o\ two places. First of all he congratulated Mr. Luko on heading tho poll, and he was"quite willing to admit that the fact that Mr. Luke, had received such n tremendous majority showed that liis actions had met with tho approval of tho greater number of the citizens of Wellington. Although he was at tho bottom of the poll ho claimed that his vote showed thathe had received the support of the intelligent people of Wellington. (Laughter and applause.) He was glad that Mr. M'Lnren had said there had been no personal feeling among the candidates. So far as ho was concerned he had no feeling against either of his opponents. Seeing that this was the lirst appearance of iiis party in municipal politics he considered that the vote recorded was a splendid one. At once they would get to work to t>!epare for the General Election, and as this was only ihe commencement of their campaign he thought their party had a srroat future. Ho was well satislied with tho result and he wished to thank all who ljad assisted him, and also to thank his opponents for the gentlemanly way in which they had treated him. . He called for three cheers for his opnnnents and the cheers were forthcoming. Mr. M'Laren filled in an omission \w had inadvertently made in his speech. He thanked ill those who had work<vl for him in the campaign and for the cause, with which he was associated.

BEFORE THE CROWD. NO HEARING FOR ANYBODY. At ttic "Evening Post , ' office none of the three candidates could be heard at more than a few feet distance above the din of shouting, cheering, and hooting. The candidates spoko generally on the same lines as thev had at the Town Hall.

( One remark of Mr. Luke was new. "It has been maintained." ho .said, "that this city stands for.constitutional government, and that it has no desire to see the pillars of society overthrown, but rather that it has an honest, sincore desire to see the Dominion develop and progress on. safe and. sound lines, to.see a continuance of good government,, not only fmm to-dcy, but throughout all time."