A COMPLEX POSITION

Hokitika Guardian, 5 December 1924, Page 3

A COMPLEX POSITION

INTERNA I. I’AIiTV WIIANGEES. SYDXEV. November 111. On December Ist. there will be the triennial election for the Sydney C ity Council, and the campaign is now in full swing. The position of affairs has very substantially changed since the last election, and it is very difficult to foresee, what the outcome will he. At the last election the issues were clear cut between the Municipal Labour Caucus, which was in power, and the newly formed Civic Reform Association, which, with its attractive programme of united effort for efficient control and reform hv bti.siness men, put lip an overwhelmingly strong ease against the Labour rule which, for a variety ol ioaKons, had become extremely distasteful to most of the interests concerned. But the promise of unity has not been lul(illod. There were serious breakaways amongst the Reform Aldermen, a small cl ii I lie obtaining the election of Aiderman (iil| in as Lord Mayor by means of an understanding with the Labour minority and thus limiting the wishes of the Reform Association. Necessarily such an arrangement entailed gi" as well as take, consequently the control or the Reform l’artv was weakened hv faction squabbles, and the city has been entertained for many months |,v the airing of internal disputes which it has had neither the time nor the inclination to follow in detail, (oilse fluently, although the anti-f.ahour forces are roughly aligned against Labour. Hie contest is complicated by the fact that some of the candidates lack the endorsement of the Reform Association, and in some wards there are complicated situations. Only in the last week or two have the internal wrangles amongst the antiLabour forces died down, and there is mi assurance whatever that if the dissensions do not result in l.abour gettin- hack to power, the disputes amt intrigues will not break out afresh. Some independent candidates and W°‘ niinent business people, disgusted with the partv and faction wrangles, are callin- aloud for the city administration to he placed in the hands of a commission as a. trial for throe years, and this view is reinforced by the proceedings before a Royal Commission which is now enquiring into serious alio gations of corruption made by busines men.