teiing Just THUBSDAY, NOVEMBER 2(5, 1891. THE MAYORALTY ELKCTION.

Evening Post, Volume XLII, Issue 128, 26 November 1891, Page 2

teiing Just THUBSDAY, NOVEMBER 2(5, 1891. THE MAYORALTY ELKCTION.

'She result of yesterday's election for tho Mayoralty of the city is in every way satisfactory. It has given Wellington a Mayor mo.st fully qualified to disobarge the duties of tho offioo with oredit to himsolf and benefit to the ratepayers. It has aluo established, or, rather, wn should gay, confirmed, the precedent of having tho office of Chief Magistrate filled by a man of somo note and standing. Tho roll of Wellington Mayors has been highly creditable to tho good sense of the ratepayers of the city, and includes more names of men of acknowledged political abilityi or tcoj social standing, than does tho Mayoral roll of any other city in the colony. Mr. Bell is one of the leaders of tho New Zealand bar, and belongs to a historic family. It is a good thing to fina such' a man lhterSstihg himself ih civic affairS, arid Wellington has gdod i-ea»on on merely personal grounds to bo content with having him for Mayor. In other respects yesterday's decisive victory is not less satisfactory. Had Mr. Bell been defeated, or oven returned by a narrow majority, the Mayoralty would probably havo passed for years to come into undesirable hands. Leading citizens qualified to fill the office creditably would havo been loth to contest the position. Now, thoro i* every reason to induoe tho best inon in tho city to follow Mr. Bell's example and, interest themselves in municipal avoirs. Perhaps tile happy day may come whon seats in the City Council will be an object of ambition to our best and ablest citizens. Mr. Bell's return yesterday by such a. large majority may also, we hope, bo accepted as an emphatic endorsement by a majority of the ratepayers) of tho views ho has so clearly and plainly expressed on the Vital question of drainage and sewerage. We hope that his term of offico will bo rondored tor ever happily tnemOrable by tho initiation of some effectiyS gohome for improving tho sanitary condition of the city. He has a great opportunity open to him in this direction, and we have formed a mistakon estimate df his ability and onergy if he does not iiriurbve.ft to tho utmost. Tho niiti»fa<!-tfOn with wliioll tlns rdsiilfc of yesterday's poll may be rogarded is not decreased by the knowledge that there was a certain politioal olomont involved in the contest. One had only to stand opposite the polling booth and look across the sty cot at the two committeo-roomg, to sco this. The composition of the two committeeß proved it. Tho strength of what Mr. Ballancb is nover tired of terming the Great Liberal Party, was exerted, so for as possible, in Mr. Worth's favour, and muoh foolish talk about capitalists And aristocrats and Tories wns indulged ih by some extremely Radical members of thp Party pptose'd td Mr: Bill. Yet ijotwithst&tidint* all tile Batises at work to oioitS diltagShism, tho contest was carried but in the most pleasant, fair, and friendly mannor on both sides, and those wero no empty compliments which wore exchangod between tho candidates after the poll was declared. Thoy were simply tho expression of the absolute truth. Thore Was not an incident of tho fight to cansq heartburning. Each committee Well, but perhaps Mi\ BiiLt's was the best organised, and his large majority was in a great measnro due to its admirably well-directed efforts. Mr. Wobth's oommitteo worked manfully also, but from an early hour in tho forenoon under the depressing conviction that they wero fighting a losing gaino. It is a singular faot that Mr. Worth polled exactly two votes more than ho did wlidn he Contested the Mayoralty against Mr. A. W. Brown last year. Mr. Bell yesterday polled 133 votes moro than Mr. Brown did on that occasion.. _ The number of Votes polled by Mr. Bell is the largest over recprdod for a Mayor of this city.