MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 91, 17 April 1923, Page 4

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

"A SENTIMENTAL BLOKE"

MR. WRIGHT REPLIES TO MR. M'KENZIE

'i SHOULD HAVE BEEN A FICTION WRITER."

The statements made by Mr. i. M'Kenaie with reference to Mr. B. A. Wright were replied to by Mr. Wright when speaking at Miramar last might. As a rule, said Mr. Wright, he did not refer to other candidates in a contest, but Mr. M'Kenzie had gone out of his way to make statements which, if proved to be true, would place the speaker in a most dishonourable position. Mr. M'Kenzie had said that two years ago, an understanding was come to whereby whoever was selected then should stand down on the present.occasion, and Mr. M'Kenzie now claimed that the understanding tfas not being honoured. It had been said by Mr. M'Kensie that he would not consent to negotiate with a man who failed to honour such an understanding, even if it were not in writing at the time. It that statement wero t/rue, the speaker would certainly have acted in a dishonourable way. Mn Wright said he had already contradicted that statement publicly. Neither he nor his committee had any understanding with Mr. M'Kenzia two years ago, good, bad, or indifferent. * The negotiations had not reached the stage mentioned by Mr. M'Kenaie, It was true that at the beginning negotiation! were entered into, but no agreement 'could be reached as to a tribunal} therefore the speaker had no opportunity of making any offer to Mr. M'Kenzie, »uch as he had as--sorted. How coaid he do it? Mr. Norwood was a candidate, and if Mr. Norwood stood davm—as h.e did—and Mr. M'Kenzie withdrew, how could the speaker^ have agreed to stand down for both of them ■on the present occasion ? The thing wcMld be too. absurd on the face of it. Mr. Wright declared unhesitatingly, that there was not one word of truth in Mr. M'Ken?ie's statement. If Mr. M'Kenzie could prove that what he said was true—the speaker did not care what tribunal it was, so long as it was any way reasonable—then he was willing to retire in Mr. M'Kenzie's favour, provided, of course, that if Mr. M'Kenzie, failed to prove his statement, ha (Mr. M'Kenzie) would retire in the speaker's favour. " I understand." said Mr. Wright, "that Mr. M'Kenzie'claims to bs a sport. There is a sporting offer for him. If he can substantiate his statement, there is his opportunity." Mr. Wright denied that he had made a public statement in the Press that he, did. not intend to stand again. In,saying that the speaker had made such a statement, Mr. M'Kenzie had shifted his ground somewhat, but there was no Statement-of the kind to be found in th* Press: "I have -come to the conclusion," proceeded Mr. Wright, "that Mr. M'Kenzie has made a mistake in his profession—he should have been a fiction writer. If he had been, lie would have run Rider Haggard very close for it, indeed." Having been shelled out 'of.ono position, Mr. M'Kenzie was taking up another. He now said that two years ago the speaker's committee waited upon the late Mr. J. 6. W. Aitken, and asked the latter to use his influence ;to induce"Mr:" JM;K»izw,Uo,jstaria • down! Such a statement was untrue, for the speaker's committee never saw Mr. Aitken-' and had nothing to do with him. " We did not know 1 .that Mr. Aitken had any influence with Mr. "M'Kenzie," remarked Mr. Wright. " Ther© is not one word "of truth in the statement. When a man comes'forward to seek the suffrages of the people and occupy the high office of Mayor, he should see that*, in hia statements to tho people he is' somewhere, nearly accurate. "Mr. M'Kenzie seems to think that the Mayoral chair is his birthright, because he was born in Wellington. . . But he is coquetting with Mr. Fraser. To use a familiar colloquialism, they are ' rubbing shoulders with each other,' and they are fraternising with each other " A voice: " They are going to count you put." Mr. Wright: "If the Mayoral chair is Mr. M'Kenzie's birthright, I hope he is not going to sell his birthright for a mess of pottage. But Mr. M'Kenzie is the ' Sentimental Bloke.' Because he is a native of Wellington, he therefore says the Mayoralty is his right, and that every ope else should stand down. If that appeals to the .doctors, I hare no more to say, but I have yet to learn that the people, of Wellington will return any man to an office of responsibility because he happens to be bom in the place. What about tho thousands snd thousands, of other men who were born in Wellington? lam not a native of Wellington, but I .was born in New Zealand. . . . : No, there must be something more, than simply a man's birthright. A man must be more than a sentimental bloke.' He must, be able to convince the people that he is qualifiad for the office.he wishes, to occupy."