THE MAYORALTY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 87, 12 April 1912, Page 6

THE MAYORALTY.

Mr. R. A. Wright has opened the platform campaign for the Mayoralty with characteristic briskness. He is a man of abundant vitality, and we are confident that our recent prediction that much would be heard of him before polling day will be verified, if he is not persuaded to stand down. However, ho did not apparently give any hint last night that he was disposed to retire in favour of any other candidate. He briefly set out his ideas as to the qualifications for a Mayor of Greater Wellington, and submitted that ho was competent to fill the specification. Hie speech showed ihat he had beeu watching the course of civic affairs, but in the main it was a counsel of perfection 1 — "progress, with caution "—rather than an illuminating expert discourse on things municipal. Of courso such a. critical exposition could nob fairly be expected from, a candidate, without council experience, in his first address to tho burgeeseu. The speaker at least displayed breadth of mind and purpose, and hk speech commands serious reading. We prefer to reserve detailed irilu'ism till the other candidate* have pub their caao before tho piiblif, In tho nieatitimo citizans. have tko spectacle of lour

candidates, each professing to be eager to act. impartially for all claeoes of the community. Mr. M'Laren stands 'a& tho straight-out representative of Labour, Mr. John Smith is the nominee of tho Citizens' League, and Messrs. Bits and Wright have not yet any special label attached to them. The Citizens' League scorns to be a little uneasy about the proepect of a divided vote, and has decided to try to effect a "workable arrangement." Certainly, if Mesers. Bise, Wright, and Smith go to the poll, they will be rivals of Mr. M'Laren individually, but . collectively they will bo friends. The Labour representative ha* good reason to anticipate a solid backing by his own party, and hie defeat for the Wellington East seat, in a very keen contest with Dr. Newman, may suture him a sympathy vote outside hie own party. He has become one of the temperate Labour leaders, and, therefore, with the newly re-organised forces of Labour behind him, he may well dismay the supporters of 'his opponente. It is not probable, after recent evente, that Labour can command a majority in Wellington, but a minority can elect Mi*. M'Laren if the majority is cut up by three candidates, It is a position to emphasise the need of an amendment of the elector.il law in relation to local as well as General Elections.