THE MUNICIPAL ELECTION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXII, Issue 15704, 25 August 1911, Page 6

THE MUNICIPAL ELECTION.

We hope that the success of Mr H. D. Acland at the municipal election yesterday does not mean that the electors agree with his nominator that the workers should not aspire to sending representatives from their own class to tho City Council. There are scores of men in the ranks of labour who ought to be taking an active part in local politics and who might be rendering very useful services to the citj r . But so long as tbe workers are divided against themselves, quarrelling over nothing more substantial than names, they cannot expect to make much progress towards the goal they are seeking. Yesterday we had the spectacle of two Labour candidates each doing his best to prejudice the position of the other and it is little wonder that the electors rejected them both. Fortunately the saner voters secured the return of a gentleman who'may fairly claim to be “independent” in tho best sense and who is admirably equipped for the discharge of the dutios with which he has been entrusted. We have no fear that he will disregard his pledgo “ to see that even-handed justice is dispensed to labour and to capital alike” and “to give everybody a fair deal, irrespective of class or organisation ” ; but we trust that before the next municipal election comes round Labour will have healed its divisions and will bo able to secure tho representation in the Council to which it is clearly entitled by its numbers and its needs.