PALMERSTON N. MAYORAL CHALLENGES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 4847, 8 October 1937, Page 3

PALMERSTON N. MAYORAL CHALLENGES.

OFFER AND REPLY. A counter challenge to the Mayor of Palmerston N. (Mr A. E. Mansford) to resign and contest the mayoralty with him instead of with iMr J. Hodgens, M.P., has been made by M|r V. A. Christensen, the selected Labour Party candidate. Mr Christensen explains that he has been selected to contest the mayoralty at next election in the Labour Party’s interests and if Mr Hodgens was to accept the challenge made by the mayor at Monday night’s council meeting it would mean that he would have to brush aside the right of his friends and . act contrary to the decision of the Labour movement. Furthei’, win or lose, Mr Hodgens would be required, to resign his position as M.P., as the governing body of the local organisation would not permit a member to hold both positions. A reply to the challenge was given by the mayor yesterday. He said that he did not intend' to be drawn into a newspaper corres'pondenee. His reason for .challenging Mr Hodgens to resign his seat land contest the mayoralty with him were that for more than 12 , months he had been subjected to all sorts of insults, including state- ' meats that his rulings were unfair, insinuations #hat he was not telling the truth and accusations of bribery and corruption. The position had become untenable and he had too much respect for the city and regard of citizens to turn the \ council meetings into a place of acrimonious personal bickerings. “As for knowing that Cr. Hodgens could not accept the challenge,” said Mr Mansford, “my actions in the past would prove that I am not a coward and I would not take a cowardly advantage from Mr Christensen’s statement. However, are we to assume that the excuse put foward by Cr. Hodgens that the supposed challenge had been received from the men at the gasworks and that he could not accept on that account, was mere subterfuge? If it is against the constitution of the Labour Party, as suggested by Mr Christensen, how did the Hon. D. G. Sullivan occupy the mayoral chair in Christchurch and represent that city in Parliament for so long? Why did the Hon. R, Semple contest the mayoralty in Wellington 1 ? These are just excuses being provided for Cr. Hodgens by his chief publicity agent, Mr Christensen, who always seems to have to come to his rescue. As for Mr Christensen’s challenge, it would not overcome the difficulty because it,-would be a waste of time and money, as I would be elected by an overwhelming majority.”