THE MAYORAL ELECTION

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 183, 28 April 1908, Page 6

THE MAYORAL ELECTION

The contest for the City Mayoralty/ now 1 in its closing hours, lias been So keenly fought that the candidates must both be feeling the effects of the f long and vigorously-contested campaign; Mr. Hislop, who had already addressed a groat number of meetings on the outskirts, of the city, delivered what might be-termed his policy address at the Concert Chamber of the Town ( Hall last evening; It is rather to be regretted that Mr/' Hislop should have reserved his big effort until this late |'stage of the contest. He had a large audience', and it was quite evident that the greater part of it consisted of his own supporters, but it was equally plain'that Mr; Hislop's fighting power has been sapped by his efforts i during the campaign. Certainly, a.% usual, he devoted the'greater .part of his address to criticism of his opponent's actions, and the arguments and Contentions which have been advanced so often by him during his election addresses were again brought 1 forward, but-there'was,, an absence of fire or enthusiasm — he was weary before he began, and, save for an occasional effort, his address became depressirigly monotonous. This is not to say that he did not score some points in his favour. He aroused a degree of enthusiasm by . his advocacy of workers' homes ; he. was applauded for his story of the Electric Lighting Company purchase; and received flattering recognition of his expressed determination, if elected, to purchase the Gasworks.. 'Those who have not yet read • Mr. Hislop's claims to support will find them fully outlined in the report of his address 'publMed : " 7 We do not propose to follow him in detail. Some of his claims we have already disputed — Soins of his-actiotis '.we have condemned. . (V His reference to his ad dress .to a private nieeting of the Tramways employees cleverly, covered up the. real point at' issue; arid he . wafe equally clever in covering the main ground of complaint concerning the- Sinking Fund investments by reading a letter from Councillor Biss stating that the investments made Were all perfectly sound and profitable. Councillor Bias is the Councillor who first objected to the principle involved.in investing sink--ing funds in the mariner introduced by Mr-. .Hislop,. ■ and Mr. Hislop has been .clever .enough to. make it' appear that Councillor,. Biss has now changed his opinion, .Whether Or not this is soj we do riot lenowj but - certainly the. letter rcfad last evening does not cover, the real ground of objection 'raised to these . investments.' • But, apart altogether from this question, Mr; Hislop's , evasiveness is too apparent, and must do him harm with thinking people. This persistent laudation' of his own efforts, and his sweeping condemnation of almost everything done by . Mr. Aitken during, his term of .office are also bad tactics when practised on citizens who are more or less familiar with the work if both candidates, and. uiile6s we are much mistaken will react against him on election day. As we-intend to deal fully with the matter - in to-morrow's issuej however, we will, leave our analysis of-the claims of the two didates until then. In the ineantime,' we would merely; re-echo . our pre-viously-expressed opinion, which ,has been strengthened by recent i disclosures, that, in the .interests of the city, Mr v ,Hislop's continuity of office in the Mayoral chair should be broken by the election of ' Mr. Aitken; at tomorrow's poll. / :