SUBURBAN APATHY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 101, 1 May 1941, Page 11

SUBURBAN APATHY

CANDIDATES AND WAR WORK

THE MAYOR'S VIEW

Because of the small attendances at the majority of election meetings so far and the demands upon their time by war and patriotic work, two of the Citizens candidates, Mr. R. H. Nimmo (City Council) and Mrs. E,.M. Gilmer (Council and Hospital Board), have announced that though they will remain in the contest they will address no more meetings.

At Seatoun, the last meeting he had addressed, said Mr. Nimmo, an audience of three had been solemnly and hopefully addressed by the Mayor of \he city and by six candidates. In Roseneath, the first meeting at which lie and six other candidates spoke, the gfeairman himself formed the audience When the meeting opened/and later «ne other came in. Mr. Nimmo said that the public had clearly demonstrated by their non-attendance at welladvertised meetings that they did not desire to listen to municipal candidates. This was quite understandable because of the dominating influence of the war situation., The majority of meetings he had addressed to date had had audiences smaller actually than the number of candidates attending the meeting.

"The position .is .Gilbertian," he said, "and as a public man I feel that I am wasting valuable time which I can put to much better use in war and patriotic work." He added that if -he had any further views to place before the electors, he would do so through the columns of the Press. There was precedent for that in the decision of the Mayor and councillors of Lower -Hutt, who had shown sufficient wisdom and foresight to adopt the same course.

\tylrs. Gilmer'made her announcement at the Vogelmorn Hall, and was definite about it; She was, she said, a very busy woman in patriotic and hospital work.' She had a few minutes earlier left 150 girls training for war work—to speak to an audience of nine. She appreciated their interest, but at meeting after meeting apathy had been most apparent. She was too busy with other work and duties to go out night after night to address a handful of people.

"I am going to devote the best of my time to my country, for we are in distress," said Mrs- Gilmer. "I said at the beginning of this campaign that there should not be any local body elections this year. If they are to go on I will be in the fight, but I will stand on my record. I will address no more meetings."