Mayoral Elections.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 58, 19 April 1912, Page 8

Mayoral Elections.

The mayoral election 3 take place next- Wednesday. On that day tho citizens throughout New Zealand will have an opportunity of casting a vote for candidates for the mayoral chair. In the casting of that veto it is well to remember that the position of mayor carries with it powers vvhioli can, in a great measure, determine the well-be-ing of a very largo number of our fel-low-workers. The city councils of New Zealand are large employers of labor; tho condition of employment of those engaged is, generally speaking, determined by the chief magistrate of the city. This has been demonstrated time and again. It is unfortunately only too true that tho workers or New Zealand have yet to learn tho importance of municipal elections. Positions which could bo easily won by the workers, if they troubled to bestir themselves, aro permitted to go by default to the enemies of labor, and labor realises only too late tiie blunder it lias condoned. This is emphasised by the action of the Mayor of Wellington in publicly flouting the Tramway Union,, a. strike, tending to become general in its character, being necessary before sense was driven into the thick-skulled administrators of that city's affairs. hi Auckland an exactly simitar position has arisen, insofar as a civic body, led by the Mayor, has openly and brazenly boasted its determination to down unionism. Unionism in Au'-klaml, to its credit be it said, has entered the lists -to do buttle with its enemies, it v contesting the mayoralty, it i.as organised its iEr-,;, h-ai s.-/ -'. :'i,v. c;,;vdEd <:ilEons, ean-,u,>s,.k H.-1 iuj.'o, it has done its share. L-.E the c-Ei;vns of Auckland on Wednesday next do theirs. Tho issue is f.i Ely E:ar cut. On Eio one band is C. ,E Pdrx, who, backed by the fores ut pEitoeraoy—Chambers of Commerce, EnndoyevE Federation, Citizen--' L-\agr..\ and sim'ij,: minchievous organ; ;:E Ens —declares open war upon union-Em. On idle oiEe-r hand is 'die ;-;;vjp:>rE':l by the workingehi':s, sVi'r.img iEr the recognition oi (•(gojiiaeu ~di-i;-. lE, Ii SE-E.m i'h infinitely fmpo.Eor and dv-EEd.» as Mayor Lb an C. J. I:.:-!-. E'ork,-:., ■)■!' Auckland, in your bauds is En- p .>,•/.>.( la make ihe solar pEa.;., pv.Ei t_. lie, -, ; ,emiis of capitalism. Ju Waihi the, ci.j:.„i-:- ; a-...;.- -.-,: i, , v , a candid E-j \.l k,, iE-:E. ii lEmii-cdy, sEeEetEh;, iE E,,, ■[[._, vote jf the, worker:,, is ike s:a,::E:a-Eat-':. 'Euro can he no (iav.EE,'-> as to the :v v.E E nho ;, 'VIi:E l/i Eli'. L b-ii'oitgh .' ~ ' :..-: union - 01 orgawE L.her to cpEtie..'. ail advEEvEE, EEE, pa...-.'*.;, . ,'. ~-. 11,., '.inly 'E Eve at EEEh ~k , V-'.d.i h pmi a: .1 r.-'urn 1i..;-:,. K-vvEy as E;e man ar.l v,,-:- -n „!' Ear iv-n Ei. oilier eitE'j and Ejvih tEtve n<t direct, repn's-'jitutive of Ei.o workara is in - .ii field, it is wise- to use s-nne discrimiiualiai: in 'die -route.:t. Ei V/e-lUng-t-ou all the forces which were fao bitferly oii;-.■■:-. d lo unionism ar» tallyin;: ai-imiid certain candidates. Those' candi-dates Labor wauls to sfee.r clear of as if from a pestilence. AofcingMayor John Smith is seeking oleef-ion for tlie Mayoralty. .John Smith, tho chosen of tha Citizens' Leagu-?, iki a bigoted foe of labor. A vote cast for

him is a vote oast n.g'iinst tho work-ing-class. Of tho candidates in tho field the, only one who should receive the support of the workiM'd i-i I). McLaren. McLaren .is far from being our ideal of a working-cliss : 'priwyntafivo, but he U undoubtedly better ih.ui r.nuo. Those workers in Wellington with v./.os should vote for SJ. *Vlcl„ir.ui for M .■■.or. Worlcjeg-class solidarity in tho ti; ty-oi-.il conte.at will servo a.s a stimulant to in-Teased activity in tlie future by labor in municipal affairs Bo unionists at tho ballot box on \Vi'du.M-:hiy nest.