WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 4 May 1925, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

j . -- **{s> MK-NTCH’AL ERECTIONS. | “M K.NACE UK LABOUR/’ (Special to “Guardian'’.) ! \\ CKGI.NGTO.N, May 1. i The municipal elections .seemed to lx? mousing considerably more interest l nan usual this year, Liu to the di>cunilurt ot all tlte prophets tlie actual voting shoved a slight decline on that at tlie last mayoral contest, two years aero, v, hen -Jo. TUT electors participated m the choice of the chief magistrate as auain-t 2l.!lb‘Bou this occasion. 'I la' Labour vole, however, showed a. silb-t:lllt-iai increase, .Mr ('. 11. Chapman raising tlie party's total from Jl.Ah t , Bl.lb’L and missing election l>y only | .;;<) { votes. The local paters, whi h made the most of the “socialist meiia:e'’ during the campaign. are not regard ina tli' result a- entirely satisjaeiuiy. "No doubt it .Mr .Norwood had l.eeii • elected in good time and so enshh d to < oiidm i his campaign at 1 1 • i•;ii! (..*, 1 ' s:(vs t!i«* 4 ‘Dominion Z’ **n I mm |, hotter result might have been ! disclosed. (hi tl’.e other liand the ell'ect

. ; ellcvin- the selei lion ot a citizens’ i andidatc attain to heeome a mallei of belated hi; kcring may easily he to hand over i he mayorlty (piite needle.-dy the | ahoiir Kociali-is.'’ Tlie truth of tlie matter i-. ol course, that the -ell'-"cii.;ii!itcd Citizens' l-oajrue has never -m e: . led in nr.nising ih<- great hoilv i.i ele ’tors to any enthusiasm over its cae.se. while the l.ahoiir Baity never wastes opportunity in "belated bickering" and cels in- pen, le to poll with light-hearted unanimity. Il the LoOfU) ~r Ki.diKl electors who hahitmilly ah'lain from voting 'hi not bestir tliem-■e-lve.s into activity the “<siLi.sl'ii|.lio" lie- papers are fearing most certainly will overtake tlie capital city. THU. CANDID FRIEND. I The “Evening I’o.st.” which plays the part of candid Irieml to all tlie parties when a contest between them is out of die vav. reminds the re-eleeied councillors (hat they are being given another term of olfice. not I era use they had done particularly well m the past, hut heeause the only alternative to their , et urn appeared to he the eleelion of a Labour majority. 'Hi must mu he thought" it -a.vs. ‘‘that ill" '.liole of t!, c work of the pr.sl lm-. been approved. Plat her. there must ho a renewed effort , ~,eril the eoidideii'e, and to us * the m.portiinilv newly git to make t'ood deli' i nicies of tl’.e past, Cotimil

pole-v lias mil been pel led. There are many i'i-kcls in v hi h ii eim la- im,.|..,ve.| mid an early I 'ginning .slnuiid be made -• il a He- imp: ovi-meiit **v l ell-r i:r -• anis at 'mi of the ('"inieil's own htisimethods. I'.e-pcn-ihilirv for details dmiihi he laain-f rred I i II'" oH'mers of • 1.,. r.e-p "... :i n all 1 the Conn il would t Y ~ I are more time to lire: are llmsn i city development whi. h are m-eiitin! IVr "V- !"inatie progress." I -.hour is I■ y IK. men; d-wu-henrl.-d ~V ... *-1 lit* I st poneinen l i I its -ilcce.-s. ~ , ii , defeated candidate for the mayor- ; 1 1 v pml it. <hi Hie contrary, ii sec.- in ]•,.piini of a l/da.ur mayor f»r Chi istehureh the ’- ■'• 1 iti l l on the wall'' V-Picli t.dls eloquently of im truimpli lae year- hence. Optimism "l this kind is at the bnlioom of the party's a'lndr.ahle orgnuisat ion. MENU li’A.l. THAI i INC. Tim virtues and vices of municipal Ira dim: entered largely into tie- cump.niguing which ] receded pollin'-': day. and the ‘viiiz.cn.-' " liddc-. for the in'vl purl, wliiit* ilcpriTiitiiiLS int - on - v ilh | i ivade eiil.-rpi i-.-. nuoled with smile eompkovticy tla- prolip- tin-C-mn i! had mad- during the year I'rem . Pram’.ay. elect ri- light. fower and mill: iinderLakiu.es. amount me nllogether to soma ”"b This seemed searaely coii-isteiit with their demmrioiji ui !' I.a 1 cm's demand lor the so - iidisation of ser/ii es and a. i orre-p-mdciit . f t!I - I-I'osl'' at them rather neal- ]. ■■>;,, ,!ouh| l In- l.eiii von |*lll*l ib- ,. | Hie I tiie v dav silo”. Ill' that the ( 11 \ Cui'ii' i 1 made a pro.it ot £O.l-1 <M, i of ii: iriojiue lon -nis last year are vs ly gral il’ving to m-bedy. 'h- "role. ‘•Pei'ha! x ii is Hi- retirin'.: Mayor that i- lejoieire.r. perhaps the ( ily Irea-ur.-r, pr.iduie: He City’s hanker. Toil wo mere resident . in the eil.v certainly |.,! IS- n ill 1a - jiih’il :id -aver I lie 1, dm. I'm 11 I 1 lie Ponies show that Hi- ( .--.nil has been maidin' up foi it- intiilf.*i-<-11 1 numageiucnl by fairly oxt nsivi- | rulitocring !" I-’roin lid p. ml the 1 .on—spniidi’ul pro; ends to show that (Pat. Council during Iho year had os- ; I aped seme S’A I 1:0:1 in Hi- way of ine—iin- las widen pri va 1 on I ■ ri.ri ■■ would have had in pay in similar eir-<-n ia-ta.iii e.-. ; ‘ll iciii- to Ie only a <1 iil' in-111 e in de-ree.’’ he added re n inrllnu sllot. "he! ween the municipal tr: dint' of the iiivsi-nt i c-ime and the So'dalisation i'if services ol tin 1 l.ahoiir I’aiiy.'’ I’.ui I'i'iiliablv few ol the -lectors saw the subtlety ol his little je.sl'. (11 A.NO INC ins MIN'D. .Mr W. (lieiinds. the thairmau of the Dairy la aril, ulm has taken the task of justify inti the policy ol ‘‘Absolute Control" upon his broad shoulders, has prepared another rod for his hark by d--.•lai-inp; at Ciiri.sl hurch that he was in la\ ot'r of the pre-eut system of eleet i 11}' the menders of llu- Board. On half a dozen other oei asions. at least, lie had dei hired, aocordiny: to the I'.o'.vs-jjaui-i' reports, that lie did not approve of the present syst: m of election anil that he would assist in renlaein-; it by tie ward system. The dili-retiee between tie' two systems, nni-hly. is that ilu- pr sent -y-teui -ives the mujority. whid!;er -mall or grout, the repre-ent-

utimi in tin- Hoard, while the ward system would give ilie uiinority iU fair share of representation. The critics I of Mr (I rounds are .show mg. hv quotI at inns from the local papers, that at I’alae rst .11 North on March Id. at 11•> a era on March IS. and at Carterton on March -!l he explieitv and otn)»h:itj, ally, without qaalitieation or reservation. expi'c-sel hiniselt as anxious to make the ihnnre. which al-d had the a;■ moral of the Hoard. Simo then. Mr (oodlellow. one of Mr (Iron nil's i ollcngues on the Hoard, has instituted a campaign against the ward system, and the suggest ion is that he has succeeded in ■! ersuad.it)g the ehrernitin I hat it would on badly with their policy of ahsolule (outro! if minorities were allowed a voice ill the decision. Ihe next word must < eme from Mr