HER WORSHIP OF ONEHUNGA.

Evening Star, Issue 9471, 16 August 1894, Page 2

HER WORSHIP OF ONEHUNGA.

Mrs Yates, mayor of Auckland's western seaport', being now in Duhedin, having come South after visiting Wellington in the interests of the Onetmnga Cemetery Bill, was to-day waited on by a reporter and asked a few questions. It transpired in the course of conversation that Mrs Yates is a Scotchwoman. She Was born in Caithness. But as she came to New Zealand when only seven years of age it is as a colonial that she describes herself. Properly so, too. She was educated at the Church school at. Onehunga, and has paid rates in that borough for thirty years. It did noi require any leverage to get out this information. The figures were supplied voluntarily. In this as in other respects Mrs Yates is practical. Pursuing the personal side of the interview, it may be mentioned that Mrs Yates's other half is Captain Yates, a sailor long known in the coasting and inter-island trade. He at one time commanded the Jessie Nicol; after her the Coronet. Settling down to shore life, the captain was for four terms elected to the mayoralty of Onehunga. In his fourth year he resigned, owing to ill-health. To him succeeded Dr Erson, who served the remainder of the year in which he took office and a full year as well. At that point in municipal affairs parties were formed and sides taken on the question of municipal expenditure. Captain Yates and his supporters advocated economy in finance; they had carried on with a ninepenny rate. The other side propounded a "leaps and bounds" policy, the possibilities of which affrighted some of the ratepayers, 'and Captain Yates was asked to again become a candidate for the mayoralty. He declined, and ah appeal was then made to his wife, who had always taken an interest in public questions, and had frequently been asked to stand for the councillorship. She accepted the proposal, was opposed by Mr William Court, and beat him by sixteen votes. Though a diligent student of local and general politics, Mrs Yates had not at any time prior to her accession to the mayoralty spoken in public, and had never put foot in the Council Chamber till the day of her installation. It was in the knowledge that her husband's experience would assist her that she took office. But for that resource she would not have consented to come to the front. Once in the mayoral chair, however, she holds her place unassisted, so far as the governance of the Council meetings is concerned. She would not have it said that she is acting merely as a dummy for her husband. Also, it may be remarked, the cares of office do not overburden Her Worship, nor cause her to regret the step taken. She has acquired more than a passing knowledge of her "Batgcr" and the Municipal Corporations Act, and rules actually as well as nominally. Also with confidence. " There is no reason, so far as I can sec, why, after a year's experience, a woman should not bo Mayor of London " —an observation which is provided with the commonsense explanation that a woman who has passed through a term of office in a small municipality, where she has to do pretty well everything, would not lind insuperable difficulties iu presiding over the municipal government of a city that is provided with a well-traiued departmental staff. As showing that Mrs Yates's rule is acceptable to the burgesses of Onehunga, it may be remarked that she has been already asked a dozen times to stand again at the end of the current term.

The "scenes" reported as having taken place at Onehunga since Mrs Yates took office have been, we are told, exaggerated. The facts may be briefly narrated. The first meeting over which she presided was an extra meeting called for the purpose of appointing a town clerk. One of the councillors wished fresh applications called, as the letters sent in had been opened by the retiring mayor. Mrs Yates thought that would be a hardship to the applicants. At this meeting two of the men who had resigned appeared and took their seats, holding that they were entitled to do so until their successors were appointed. Mrs Yates, fortified by her reading of the statute and by the precedent of the resignations of Messrs Cadtnan and Rees, ruled that the contention was wrong, and as the parties concerned would not retire the meeting was adjourned and the appointment postponed to the next ordinary meeting. The other scene happened in May. A special meeting had been called to consider a proposal to ask their member in the House to draft a Bill to legalise the use of the cemetery site, on which 26Dodieahadalreadybeeninterred. Thepractice at Onehnnga was that the publio were not admitted to special lntsttingj, On this

occasion, however,,the building was packed, many present being women. Mrs .Yates asked those present to retire. Cr Jackson who opposed the Bill, rose and told them not to go, adding that the mayor had no ppwer to put them out. The question as to exclusion was put to a vote pi the Council and carried, whereupon the women retired and most of. the men, excepting same who, influenced by Cr Jackson, Hovered about the dodr..and passage. Eventually, however, all went excepting one man who stood his ground and argued the point. Mrs Yates went out on to the landing and the man referred to followed, to further conduct his protest, whereupon she quietly stepped inside and closed the door, and the business went on. There was a considerable amount of noise by the crowd outside, but, adds Mrs Yates, " I was not afraid to walk home by myself.", And one can well believe that her declaration is strictly true.