WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 March 1923, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE .MAYORAL ELECTION. PERTUII BED (TTJZEXS. HPKCIAL TO GUARDIAN. WELLINGTON, -March a Many citizens of Wellington are gitiatly perturbed by the possibility ot a Labour candidate being returned to the mayoral chair at the approaching election. There are four candidates in the field—or rather three, with a- Labour candidate still to he selected —and timorous folk are sadly afraid that with

i the "responsible” vote divided, the j "Irresponsible” vote will prevail. Ihe j “Hvening Post” offers them no coinj fort. “The plain fact which must he rrealised by each of the three non-party candidates,” it says in an appeal to the “responsible."” to consolidate their forces, ‘‘is that none ol them has much hope of succeediny if all persist in presenting a divided front to the united Labour tone.” The throe “non-party" candidates am -Mr Wright. the present mayor, a whole-lionr?e<| Reformer in the Mouse of Representatives, -Mr George Mitchell. the late Independent member for Wellington South, and Mr L. McKenzie. a ven live member ot the C.itv Coimeil ami a good Liberal. It it wore time, as the ’ Post” says, that national polities do not enter into municipal elections, it. miyht he easy enough to concentrate all ante-I.abottr votes on to one candidate, hut in tins case u is notoriously untrue and it looks highl; probable the “I rresponsibles ? will ye! their chance.

LICENSED TEA IM-

There was a big gathering ot representatives of the liquor trade here lasi week to review the results oi the 1 las ’licensing poll and to discus* a plan of campaign for the future. The proceed inys were strictly private anil tin

“Trade” seems abb* to keep its secret • better than do most organisations oi the kind; but it is understood that the enormous cost of the last laiupaiyn created considerable concern among the delegates and that the polling in ' " of the districts was not thought commensurate with the local expenditure. Ain k! •> !. as v. as remarked at the Lime showed a growing tendency towards Proh’hition, and it was thought this was largely due to the efforts of the Trade there not having been so vigorous am! sustained as they were in most ihe soul bet ii di*i nets. Though the (jim-lk),, «;is not formally discussed, individual delegates mentioned the prosped of prefer outia! voting being in Ino duced into the parliamentary election and being demanded for via' licensing poll. There appears to have been some differences of opinion as to iiow this would affect i he interests of the Trade, but a majority ot the delegates, it is said, were opposed to any change in the system of ascertaining the wishes of the electors. Till: PARTY POSITION. The Prime .Minister seems to have had nothing very new In disclose to his audience at Hamilton on Saturday when he joined with Mr •). A. A oung s constituents in honouring their representative in Par!:; - •' ent. There is a evmunil impression her*', however, that ho is not quite so hopeful as lie was when Parliament prorogued alter the -hor! session of being able to carry on sueens.M’nHv without another election. To tio this he must have either two or three more recruits from the Libera? side of the House er a definite understanding with the party as a "hole. ..•id apparently no considerable progress has Ini'll made te.wards either oi 1 hese (Fvclc'A re','.t;-! t:'!'!•' outcome of the pasty tangle is t■ e nc- , cx.xii v i! has imp.;.-'.'.! ti* :ii Mr Mas«oy of cancelling hi-' contemplated holiday. Ili, ' .«!’.!>. liiippilv. is better just m« G:;m ii \v;i- (im'ii’y: th(’ eleetioti t-am-O-Ii.MI, llllt lie Still stands ill llOOtl Of such rest ns a busy pulit ieinn cim <> ! >- ’i'lHs. to nil appearances, will not li(> within hi< rcitfli iliirin.X presold V,V. let II I lie slid :1' in ftll i’A "IJ-I i n . ii*. i| extremely -lender iinijorilv or makes i'.iKithcr appeal In oit* 1 ' , ;j, ,(..|ici,'s. Tli!' in tier course is md iitvoiireil !.y ititv of lltc parlies hut m tin' cikl it may he tarred upon !■ e cettalrv h* shi"'!’ necessity. ' coni) TIMES AHEAD. .Menmvliilc Mr Massey. undismayed lIV his (liTciillirs. continues to w.om a elieerful rottittl'ttiiucc. tin Saturday no told the people whom he ha'l mim'd 1,1 I'oii.'uriiir Mr Young Mutt tiling l>-»' taken i> turn for liie la tter. I'"' tie r,,.,t lot, iiamlhs (i! the eurreilt linan,.i;ll year, the revenue had increased h. v million ami a half ami the expem.i- ---;„,(. had dorter ■ e.l by !w.. IHi l! l’--t i?sThe surplus this year would he v-r.v satisfactory and ho hoped to he able lo nil ire taxation hv two : d!!mu-. every v „f winch would !.e> into ''irealati„n to help to swell the W* 'g'” and to keep down the cost ol tny. The "vriy salisiaetory” surplus was mdioated hv the summary oi the P";-' 1 ' aeenums pro-’.,tod to the House during the short session, and the aiWIJ '!■ the Oppo-ttion were rather m l"‘ ' red ion of (■ensurin'.': the i hivertitneii for hnvit.tr extracted an pii’i'nu sind a hsdl in>m tin* than ill the direction of ennyitUdMiiiu it upon huvino an ovef-llowinu ' • -rev. The realisation oi their rntliei ease predict ion will afford the tnenthei s of the Opposition an opnnrnmiu I" "Lew their attack alone the same i lines, hut a reduction of two mdl.ons ,n taxation will hen stmiiK g li . l ". Sl ' i a,tains, this, and the honehnartes w, not he too insistent upon li “‘ !>"•' ( ’ ‘J, I the relief is twelve months htlit-ij time.