THE MAYORAL ELECTION.

Evening Star, Issue 14519, 20 March 1911, Page 3

THE MAYORAL ELECTION.

TO THE EDITOR. . Sir.—T am with your correspondent "■Worker" when he states that "What the City of Dunedin wants is that the gentleman elected to its chief citizenship should be qualified in every way to control the affairs of the City." Just 60. Consequently, on running through the history of the services rendered to tho citizens of Dunedin by each of the aspirants t-j the position, I, like your correspondent "Worker," have "made my choice, and make no secret of it either." I'm out for Cr Burnett, for many reasons. I havo yet to learn ■ wherein' Cr-Wilson has ever shown by any action on his part that ho directly or indirectly has done anything than constitutes him ''being the friend of the working man." Let me now review what Mr Burnett has done for the working man both in his public and private capacity. Alter which, if the worker has not lost all sense of gratitude, wo will have, like your correspondent, "nothing to fear on election day." Let me here state, lest my fellow-toilers may forget, what I have seen Mr Burnett Jo for the workers. After the collapse of the late Sir Julius Vogel's public wcrks policy-, the result of which was to turn thousands of men out of work, Mr Burnett threw his station open to all "swaggers," and I have seen him going amongst the weary travellers giving a stimulant to those in need of it, supplying those tobacco who smoked, and in more than one case Mr Burnett has provided a swag for the men who had worn their blankets out by rolling and unrolling them over a long period of idleness. He was the first squatter to recognise that a working man :ould sleep more comfortably with a little straw under him than on a sheet of corrugated iron. Ri.ght along the long number of years I have known Mr Burnett, never have I had a single complaint from any worker who was at any time in his employ. If this could be said of a majority of our employers the occupation of the Labor Jeader would be gone. To come down to more recent times, the writer has on many occasions had to approach Cr Burnett on behalf of Dunedin workers. Only a little time back when a great number of men were out of work the writer was one of a deputation to wait on Cr Burnett to ask him, as rhairman of the Drainage Board, to put some work in hand in order that some of the most needy cases might be relieved. He did so at once. So prompt was ho in his action that Mr M'Manus thanked him, and in doing so said he would not forget Cr Burnett. Workers may be led to believe that Cr Burnett's conduct towards the men on that occasion cost him nothing. Believe nothing of the sort. Suffice it to say that there is not one man in a thousand, everything being equal, that would have thought of doing what Cr Burnett did. At the time the Drainage Board had no money, either ou deposit or at current account. This Tory employer, as a few are pleased to call him, got over this little difficulty by giving tho bank hi 3 personal guarantee for a, large sum, thus jisarranging his own financial affairs at considerable cost, in order that, as ho told me at the time, little children should tot suffer from hunger. With these facts before the workers of the City of Dunedin, I have not the slightest doubt that they will show their gTatitude and appreciation by electing Cr Burnett to the honorable position, of mayor of the City of Dunedin, a position! he will fill with dignity and impartiality.—l am, etc., Steve Boeeham. March 17.