THE Wairarapa Age. MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 1908. THE END OF THE MAYORAL CONTEST.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9078, 30 April 1908, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age. MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 1908. THE END OF THE MAYORAL CONTEST.

The burgesses decided yesterday that Mr P. L. Hollings shoula reign as Mayor of the Borough for the next twelve months, and they have thanked Mr J. M. Coradine in a very emphatic manner, by their splendid vote, for his past services in the Mayoral chair. The contest was keen, but good-natured, and the closeness of the voting is so complimentary to both candidates that no ground is left for the slightest bitterness—if any has ever been entertained. The questions the ratepayers had to decide upon related to administration and finance, and having the financial statement to go upon, and a knowledge; of past administration, they came to the conclusion Hiat a change in the occupancy of the office was desirable. There the matter end 3. In accepting the trust reposed in him, Mr Hollings last night, addressing the electors, was confident of his capacity to fulfil the onerous duties devolving upon him, but, withal, modest in his demeanour. He gave his opponent credit for "the splendid spirit" with which he had fought in the battle just closed. Mr Coradine took his defeat with that manliness which characterises the race from which he sprung, and

looked forward with hopefulness to the acquisition of a fuller confidence on the part of the burgesses in the future. He admitted that Mr Rollings "had a difficult row to hoe," and generously urged the ratepayers to give the Mayor-elect a "fair show." Mr Curadine said something not quite so pleasant about the newspapers, but every allowance maji be made for a trifling momentary exhibition of feeling under the rircumstancea. A conspicuous feature in the campaign just ended was the keen interest taken in the election by the ratepayers. Most things in this world are comparative, and although scarcely more than half the burgesses visited the polling booths, a much larger general interest has been displayed throughout the contest than has been manifested 'in local public matters for a long time past. We trust the spirit of activity which the Mayoral election has evoked may be but the beginning of a larger public spirit in municipal and other matters of popular concern.