LABOUR AND THE MAYORALTY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2412, 18 March 1915, Page 6

LABOUR AND THE MAYORALTY

REPRESENTATION COMMITTEE'S PROBLEM. • When the Labour nominations for the local bodies' elections were announced recently, it was stated that Mr. C. H, Chapman had been proposed to contest the Mayoralty in the interests of Labour. It appears now that Labour is divided as to whether Mr. Chapman should be allowed to go to the poll or not, and a movement is afoot to have the matter referred to the'unions. Mr. Chapman in this instance is the nomineo of a body which some unionists claim is not a union in the proper sense.' That body goes by the name of the Housewives' Union, and is considered to be about twenty strong. When the Wellington unions were asked to nominate persons for the seats to be filled at the elections, all ' the unions (exccpt the Housewives' Union) deolined to put forward a nominee for the Mayoralty. In viow of these facts Mr. L. M. A'. Rearden, secretary of the Trades and Labour Council, dropped a bombshell into Tuesday night's meeting ; of the Labour Representation /Committee by announcing that at the nest meeting he would move that the question of whether or not Mr. Chapman should be put up to contest the seat of the Mayor should be referred to the unions. It is understood that some members of the committee expressed considerable surprise in. very definite terms, and were not in favour of facilitating the progress of the proposal; and the idea is current in Labour circles that there will be a fairly strenuous debate when the matter comes up for decision. Those who favour the cause urged by Mr. Rearden say that Mr. Chapman should not be allowed to go to the poll as a nominee of Labour unless' the Labour unions (other than the Housewives' Union) express approval of, his candidature. ' ■