MAYOR OR M.P.?

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 34, 9 August 1921, Page 7

MAYOR OR M.P.?

MR. WRIGHT AND NEW PARTY

WILL NOT PRESIDE AT PUBLIC MEETING. The Mayor (Mr.R. A. WrighCM.P.), Jhas refused to preside at the first public meeting of the National Progressive and Moderate Labour Party to be held in the Town Hall on 24th August. Mr,,'C. .E. Statham, M.P., leader of the party, informed a Post representa--1 tivc yesterday that Mr. Wright, in his capacity of Mayor of the City, had been asked to preside, and he (Mr. Statham) regretted very much that Mr. Wright had declined to do so on the ground that his action might be misunderstood by the electors. Mr. Statkjn explained that he had pointed out to Mr. Wright that to take the chair' in his Mayoral capacity could not possibly have this effect, but the Mayor, for whom he had the greatest- personal regatd, adhered to his former decision In -;ontrn£t> with this was the action of (he Mayor of Christchurch, a Liberal (Dr. Thacker, M.P.), who had agreed without the slightest hesitation to follow the usual custom and take- the cliaiv at the party's^first public meeting in Christchurch, to be held early in September. Mr. Statham added that he assumed that the Mayor of Wellington. would treat all parties alike, and would decline to take the chair fpr any party leader at any party-poli-tical meeting.

> The Mayor of Dunedin (Mr. J. S. Douglas) is the president of the Dunedin District Executive Co.uncil of tho new party, but Mr. Statham hazarded the opinion, that Mr. Douglas, in his Mayoral capßcity,"~would willingly take the chair at any political meeting regardless of party; especially if the speaker were a visitor from another part of the Dominion. ' ' ■ '