CANDIDATES' SPEECHES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2448, 29 April 1915, Page 6

CANDIDATES' SPEECHES

MR. LUKE RETURNS THANKS. .■After-the declaration of the;poll, the candidates addressed the public. l •Mr. J. P. Luke, as the,elected Mayor, was the first to speak. His. first worp ■ was one of thanks to the citizens of Wellington, and especially those ivho had voted for him, for having placed him in the proud position of Mayor of the-City/-.:He..esteemed it a very high honour- indeed,'he said. It- showed that the people had enough confidence in him to; wish-him to- hold the office to two years longer. He wished to say that during the contest the .very best feeling had been manifested by all the candidates, and he desired to extend to Mr. Chapman, - and his friend Councillor. Fletcher, his hearty thanks , for itho manner: in which tney had fought the election. One of. the great factors in the election had been that tve were passing through the most disastrous war Britain had ever been engaged in. He believed that in great part, his success that day had been due to the work of Mrs. Luke, and the band of women associated with her in connection with the war. He knew that this work of Mrs. Luke had been of the greatest assistance to .him, and: that it was to- this' assistance in large measure that he owed his suocess. The years ahead would be strenuous years. His opinion "was that we should- put the Empire' first always, the country next, and the City still in a high position next.. To the workers he would say that he had as large a heart towards them as. any man could .possibly have. Especially be wished to thank the workers who had assisted him in the campaign, to whose assistance he owed his victory .at the election.

At bis call' cheers were given for the defeated candidates, Mr. Fletcher and Mr. Chapman. MR,. FLETCHER NOT DOWN- - HEARTED. • Mr. Fletcher said that although he was defeated he was not downhearted. He was "not that sort." The poll he had put up against the sitting Mayor showed that he had made' a good fight which redounded credit not only to himself, but to the small band of workers .who had interested themselves on his behalf. He attributed the result to three things—lack of interest in the elections, • lack of organisation—because he had only a small party of workers— and the employment against, him of money and motor-cars. His opinion was that the sooner tho use of motoroars at elections was stopped tho better it would be not only for local but for Parliamentary elections. He had said and done nothing in the campsTgn which he regretted. He had. never failed to acknowledge the very valuable work done by Mrs. Luke. He thanked all his supporters, and expressed the belief that had the weather been better the lesult would have been different. Some day he hoped that he would again be a candidate, and then he hoped that he might be the successful candidate. THE LABOUR CANDIDATE. Mr. Chapman also endorsed the opinion that the contest had been conducted without recourse to personalities. He waß glad to say that Labour had made straight-out light, which would' stand

by the cause in future. Labour had a habit of com'ing again. He thanked the citizens who had voted the Labour ticket, <uid lie congratulated Mr. Luko ou his election. Cheers were given for Mr. and Mrs. Luke. MRS. LUKE SPEAKS. Mrs. Luke was asked to speak by a number of her _friends. "I thank you again," she said, "for what you have done for my husband. I, of course, have done what I have done not only as a duty, because I love to do his work, but I have done all I conid in the position I have held through the honour you have placed on my husband. I thank all our frionds for what they have done for us, and I thank the other side for the splendid way in which the eloction lias been fought. There has been no ill-feeling of any sort. I only feel towards thom as any woman would feel, if I may say so—sorry for the women who have been against us." (Applause and cheers.)