WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 April 1925, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE MAYORALTY

LA HOUR ’3 OPPORTUN LTV

(Special to “Guardian”,)

WELLINGTON, April 9

Wellington is again threatened with a three-cornered contest for its mayoralty, and, what probably concerns its timid ratepayers more, with the prospect of a Labour representative presiding at the City Council table during the next two years. The Labour candidate was in the field early, and Mr George -Mitchell, an ex-member of Parliament with an excellent war record, bad been selected by the Civic League to bear its banner in the contest, while Air T. Horsyth, a senior member of the Council, and a free-lance of on insistant type, had thrust himself' into the fray without seeking anyone’s permission. Then .Mr .Mitchell was offered an important commercial position, with the proviso that he should not engage in local politics, and with the approval and good wishes of the Civic League lie withdrew from the contest, leaving the League free to transfer its patronage and its blessing to Mr Forsyth who is now the accepted champion of that body. But Air C. Norwood, another senior councillor, deeming* himself the rightful heir to the cloak that had fallen from Mr AlitcTiell, lias been easily persuaded by his friends to assert bis claim to the succession.

ami to-dav enters the lists with a substantial retinue, at his back. 'J lie presence of two "moderates” in the held, appealing to the electors Iroin practically the same platform, will enormously enhance the chances of the Labour candidate, and at the moment, witlr the' disciplined battalions behind him, it looks highly probable that be will succeed. ELECTORAL RKKORAI.

Such cases as this, even more so than dii the Parliamentary elections, give the advocates ol prelcrential voting. proportional represent ation and the rest their opportunity to denounce the existing system of election. It is highly prof-able that if the three candidates now in the field for the city mayoralty go to the poll—and they all have expressed their determination to do so—the successful candidate will represent few more than a third ol the electors who record their votes. Unless the citizens can be stirred up to much greater interest in the contest than tbev have yet displayed, the Labour candidate will be at the top of the poll and, as one of the electoral reformers put It to-day, will with the air of one having authority from the majority of the electors, while be will as a matter of fact, have the authority of only a comparatively small minority. A still more flagrant instance of what the reformers call misrepresentation. only just now being brought into prominence, was provided by the election of the Dairy Control Board, in which each factory supplier was allowed to vote for as many candidates as there were members to be elected. The result of course was to give the majority, spread over the two islands, which happened to be the out-and-out eontrolists, the whole ol the representation. Even the chairman of the hoard who liml> his way made easy by the unanimity of its members, admits

that this system of election is inequitable and doubtless be will see that it is amended in the near future. SIR JOSE I*ll WARD.

Sir Joseph Ward, who returned from i be South yesterday pledged to contest the Invercargill seat at the approaching general election, naturally is disinclined to talk party politics while the Prime .Minister still lies in hosptal. lie dees not. however, attempt to disguise the tact that bis interest on the liig quest ions vein erning the welfare of the Dominion lias not been incut. He Inis l ien watching the progics. of alien - duilng the la t live or six years very closely, and lie has lost none of bis faith in the Dominion and its people. He remains ill fact, the i beery optimist lie always has been. Rut fie sees, dniiculties ahead in the European problems remaining unsolved; in the growing compel i tion the Dominion’s producers have jo la. e. and in the instability of some of the ceuntry’s industries. This, lie thinks, ijuife apart from the universal anxiety concerning Mr Alassey, would be a most inopportune time to resume anything like party squabbling, and lie hopes that politicians of whatever colour will avoid anything of that kind till the haven of safety appears a little nearer than it does at present-. ’Villi LIBERAL PARTY.

Mr T. AL Wilford. who is getting about again alter resting for some Dine with a sprained ankle, has suspended all his political activities oil account ot the Prime Alinister’s illness. This, he thinks, is not a time to lie talking purities of any kind. The (ouiilry is far more anxious about Air Masseys condition than it. is about anyone's views on this question and that. "Rood wishes towards the head of the Government.” added the leader ot the Opposition. “are going out as fervently from the Liberals as they are from the Reformers, and. 1 believe. I rein the members of the Labour Party. A player is sorely injured and the game is stopped." Air Wilford, so he says, will have something to say concerning Air If. E. Holland’s criticism of the Liberal Party at a more opportune time. Meanwhile he does not suggest that AllHolland should abstain from electioneering because he feels, himselt disinclined to do so just now. In matters of this sort every man’s own sense of propriety must decide. But the leader of the Opposition hopes that Air Holland will not regard himself as unanswerable simply because no one has chosen t'o answer him just yet. "Probably the leader of the Labour Party will construe- my silence into pi'ool of an unho-ly alliance between the Liberals and the Reformers.” Air Wilford said in conclusion, “hut i am quite content to leave the country to judge between