MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 170, 6 April 1923, Page 8

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

MAYORAL CANDIDATES REDUCED BY ONE

MESSRS. WRIGHT & MITCHELL SUBMIT TO BALLOT

1 : FORMER REMAINS IN CONTEST-LAKER WITHDRAWS

Messrs. R. A. Wright and G. Mitchell, Mayoral candi- " dates, having agreed that whichever of them was rejected -by a special tribunal constituted for the purpose of deciding '"between them should withdraw from the contest in order to save vote-splitting, submitted yesterday to a ballot, which resulted in Mr. Mitchell’s retirement. Messrs. Wright and McKenzie and the Official Labour candidate are left m the arena.

DECISION’ OF SPECIAL TRIBUNAL • ™ BALLOT FAVOURS MR. WRIGHT The delegates appointed as ’a selection committee by the various associations connected with the Civic League met yesterday afternoon, under the presidency of Mr. W. D. Hunt, who is not a member of the league. Mr. R. A. Wright and Mr. G. Mitchell, Mayoral candidates, were present. They expressed their willingness to submit to the decision of the meetins. After they had withdrawn, a ballot conducted- by independent scrutineers was taken. The verdict was in Mr. Wright’s favour. In accordance with the agreement arrived at, Mr. Mitchell will' retire from the contest. Strong efforts will no doubt be made now to induce Mr. L. McKenzie to withdraw, leaving the way clear for the full force of the non-partv votes to be directed against that of the party votes. . . ■ It will be remembered that the Civic League recently chose candidates for' the City Council, and that one of them afterwards dropped out. It has been suggested that the Civic League should endeavour to induce Mr. Mitchell to stand for the City Council.

MR. WRIGHT AT ISLAND BAY SUBURBAN AFFAIRS The retiring Mayor (Mr. R. AWright) continued his jjandidature at Island Bay last night, when he addressed a fair-sized audience in St. Hilda’s Hall. Mr. J. T. Hunter presided. Mr. Wright said that there were so many works in hand which were unfinished that he felt he was not asking anything unreasonable in requesting the citizens to return him to the Mayoral chair. During the past two years something had been done towards the duplication of the tramlinq to Island Bay, and he had been assured by a responsible officer that the. duplication would be put in hand within the next fortnight. The city finances were now in a very satisfactory position. The city would have a hard winter for light and power, but this would be the “last winter of its discontent.” They were told that the Mangahao scheme would not be ready until June next, but in the speaker’s opinion it would not be ready until tho end of the year. Speaking of the “change-over,” Mr- Wright said that Wellington was out of step with the rest •of the British Empire in possessing a, low-voltage system. The change should have been made years agd. It would take some considerable time, and would be effected in easy stitges. He did not think that there would be any reduction for some time in the price of light. One of the chief problems of Island Bay was the fishing industry. It might be necessary to build a small jetty, but it was certain that they would have to place a man in charge of the beach, as at Lyall Bay, (Applause.) This man would be able to see that all regulations were carried out, and thus prevent some of tho friction which existed at present. The provision of a park for the district, and of lights to guide tho fishermen when returning at night with their catches was also under consideration. A veto of thanks and confidence was passed, on the motion of' Mr. Armit, seconded by Mr. Stevens.

CR. L. McKENZIE AT KARORI TRAMWAY MATTERS Councillor L. McKenzie, a candidate for the Mayoralty, addressed a fullvattended meeting at the old Council Chamber at Karori last evening. Mr. 0. I. Dasent occupied the chair. After traversing a good deal of the matter covered in previous meetings Councillor McKenzie referred to the coming polls to sanction a loan ter high-pressure water and drainage for the district. This would mean a special rate of just over 6d. in the £ on the unimproved value, and. as far as he could figure out. the average eost per house for installing the new

owners would not be able to face such a cost in one lump sum he was sure that the council would meet them by accepting time payments for the work Councillor McKenzie also exhibited plans, showing the alternative tram routes between the city and Karon (including ths new route which has been described in these columns). Ho, explained each route in general terms, but did not divulge the city engineer s report on the routes as the same had not fet be'en considered by the council. The only proposal that was being placed before them was, that one which included the purchase of, the Kelburn Tramway Company’s property. If that proposal was not earned he advised tl£j residents of the district and others affacted to call a conference to consider th? route question, with tl view, to making a recommendation to the council. At the conclusion of the .meeting avote of thanks and confidence was carried on the motion of Mr. C. Cathie, seconded by. Mr. G. Gapes, services would work out to about £4L). If there were cases where individual

MR. MITCHELL AT KELBURN THOSE NEGOTIATIONS At a moderately attended meeting at the Kelburn Kiosk last night Mr. G. Mitchell announced his acquiescence in the decision the Civic League’s comipittee that he should withdraw from the Mayoral contest. ( Mr. John Hutcheson presided, and introduced Mr. Mitchell! whose attitude throughout, he said, had beeu most magnanimous. He read a statement byfllr. Mitchell’s committee, enumeratinf’all the steps taken in the effort to secure agreement as to the course of elimination to secure' reduction in tho number of Mayoral candidates. , The committee contended that Mr. Mitchell was the only one of the three candidates who had taken any initiative in endeavouring to effect a settlement of the difficulty. Mr, Mitchell, they added, had agreed to every proposed tribunal, but they (the committee) were not- prepared to allow Mr. Wright to alter the constitution of the committee to suit himself. Messrs. ■ Wright and McKenzie, the committee allege, would together agree to no single proposal made, nor could either suggest the constitution of any tribunal to which they would mutually agree.

Mr. Mitchell said he realised from the first, that it would not be right for three of the city’s candidates to the poll and split the votes, so making it easier for the Labour cand'dato to get in. He could at least say that by selfishness he . had not deprived other candidates of their chanco. “I have tried all through,” he said, “to put the city before myself. All we desired was that each should have a good chance. I was not successful, and I accept the verdict that I must stand out. I cannot, therefore, ask you to support me, but the candidate who has been selected.” He rcp-lieed that this fine city needed a better service than it was humanly possible for one man with dual duties to render. Wellington was a wonderful city, the true centre of the Dominion trade, both geographically and by reason of its splendid -port, buij, it was not getting a management worthy of its possibilities. There waa too mudh patch'ng and bad organisation, and it would need the undivided attention of one man at its head to avoid t,he present overlapping and duplication 'which was inevitable where petty office details were placed on the shoulders of the heads of departments. A reorganisation such ns had recently taken place in the Harbour Board would be most beneficial. Any business was the better for continual overhaul. The citv needed a policv of permanent works, instead of doing th'ngs half a dozen times and leaving them as they were in the end. As one with experience on various bodies ho dep’ored the lack of policy which al-lowod-jWorks sanctioned three years ago to barely be yet commenced. Organisation of existing works was needed before tackling new tasks. Ho honed to bo still of service to the city, ’but in what capacity he did not yet know. Mr. Mitchell was accorded a vote of thanks.

“Is Mr. McKenzie going to the poll?” was asked by.a member of the audience. “To the best of inv knowledge.” replied Mr. Mitchell, “the last thing he said was that ho would go to the poll even if it meant the election of the Labour candidate.