MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 141, 16 May 1941, Page 4

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —After perusing the ratepayers’ roll, 1 find that the Labour candidate for the Mayoralty is not a ratepayer of this city. Should a non-ratepayer be voted into the responsible position as Mayor of this city Y —l am. etc., INQUIRER. Palmerston North, IG/5/41.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —May I comment on what 1 consider arc Mr Mansford's two planks. First one: Belittle Mr Tennent as a councillor and a citizen by sensational and painful charges of neglect of meetings and indifference to the war effort. Mr Tennent made a complete vindication in a manly and masterly way. But Mr Mansford still carries on! Second one: Scare the electors that Mr Murphy is going in. Although .Mr Murphy has campaigned as a gentle man, lie is almost a total stranger to the citizens, has no council experience, and for those reasons has no hope of going in. But Mr Mansford loses votes through Mr Murphy standing, and so increases Mr Tennent's lead. Hence tho "stunt" is—stampede some, support from Tennent to Mansford to make up the loss. By Mr Tennent's supporters standing firm and not being gulled, 'J'ennenc is in.—Yours, etc., JOHN C. YOUNG. Palmerston North, 16/5/31. (To the Editor.) Sir, —Several years ago there was great distress within the National Party because of vote splitting that resulted in a win in the city tor Labour. The man who caused the vote J splitting then has again taken up the cry in this Mayoral election. Mr Mansford is a clever campaigner and some Nationalists are again swallowing the bait..Mr Mansford says to vote for! him to keep Labour out. Many followed his advice at a general election and Mr Mansford put Labour in. I trust j the citizens will not be gulled this time. We are due for a new Mayor. Electors, don't be a fifth columnist and put Labour in. A vote for Mr Tennent is a safe vote; a vote for Mr Mansfor.d is a vote for Labour. —I am, etc..

NATIONALIST Palmerston North, 16/5/41.

(To. the Editor.)

Sir,—-Vote splitting has become the war cry of Mr Mansford and his followers. Why are they so airaid of this bugbear:'' is it because they really fear a 1/abour victory, or is it really that they sec the end of the Mayoralty for Mr Mansiord? Tho latter seems to be true if one takes into account the tactics that have been used against Mr Tennent. In the choice between Mr Mansford and Mr Tennent, the citizens hav'e two good men to choose irom. It would appear, however, from some or Mr Mansford's statements, that he i» "slipping." His vote splitting cry shows that he is fearful. He has need to be, for he knows that there is little danger of Labour getting the full support of its party in a Mayoral election, for all Labour will not allow party politics to influence them. Mr Mansford's fear is Mr Tennent, and well it might be, for all thinking citizens want a change.—l am, etc.,

SANE VOTER. Palmerston North, 16/5/41. (To the Editor.) Sir, —Mr Mansford's attempt at West End Inst night to catch some votes from ratepayers by blaming Mr Tennent for causing the expense of an election is surely the last word in specious argument. Election costs arc a small price to pay for the blessings of a free Democracy ; but, apart from this issue, when a man has occupied the position of Mayor for 10 years the onus is certainly on him to retire if he thinks the city should be spared tho cost of an election. At any rate 1 can assure Mr Mansford as a ratepayer that 1 do not grudge the cost of an election. Along with many others who at various times have been obliged to listen to long closely-read speeches by Mr Mansford repeating his views on world affairs. I am glad of the opportunity to help in effecting a change. We have had these on any occasion when Mr Mansford thought he could snatch an opportunity for furthering his political ambitions, and we look forward to the installation of a new Mayor.—l am, etc..

RATEPAYER. Palmerston North. 16/5/41. [! (To the Editor.) i Sir,—Your correspondent "Watchi fill," in answering a letter sent in by , Anne Jacques, compels me to let your . readers know something that "Watch- • fill" h/Us not seen or heard about, and I the discourteous remarks re the organ- ; isation Mrs Jacques is secretary for • show how necessary it is that people . should not hide their light under a I bushel. On the Tuesday morning after the Hood two women visited the scene, I but were prevented by workmen from ' going to any of the houses. However, ; on stating that they desired to call to i offer help in the devastated homes, they were referred to Mr Heatley. who ; appreciated the gesture. Instead of calling out the women of their own or- ; ganisatio.il, out of courtesy to the ■ W.W.S.A., Miss Warburton was com- ; municated with and sent out an S.O.S. to all women of the W.W.S.A. of which she is chairman. The rc--1 sponsc "was wonder! ul and aa Mr Ten-

nent 6aid in his address., special thanks were due to the band of women who have for the past ton days been engaged in this strenuous task. The women concerned were notUooki.ng""for publicity, but isn't it strange that Mr Mansford has publicly thanked all people who have helped in the H stricken area except the W.W.S.A.? Is this just another incidence of what r tho Mayor calls "fair play"? Why is the local Patriotic Committee composed mostly of people appointed by tho Mayorr Why did the minesweepers have to break away from the Mayoral committees? Why was the Shop Committee disbanded on more than o.no occasion ? Why has there been disruption on the A.N.A. Committee? How ; can anyone say there, has been har--5 mony in the city's patriotic efforts?! ' Wake up, women voters, and don't Jxi 1 hoodwinked again! Vote for Mr Ten-1 I ne.nt and see what a change will do. — J. am, etc., PRO BONO PUBLICO. 1 Palmerston North, 16/5/41. | (To Ihe Editor.) Sir, —May I be permitted to com-] , meni on newspaper reports of several , meetings held by aspirants for the . Mayoral chair. Through uniorescen! circumstances 1 have boon unable to , attend any of the meetings by the, j three candidates. Nevertheless those who cannot attend meetings rely on' , the Press tor careful and true reports. • In one issue the Mayor made aji un- j ! called for attack on one ot Palmerston 1 i North's best citizens, Mr J. Grant. | Mr Grant is the son of a man who may j truly be called a pioneer, the late Mr! . Grant being a highly respected school-! , master, who was instrumental in those difficult days in helping to mould the character of some of the boys who' have been, as men, and arc still, true j citizens of Palmerston North. Accord-1 ing to newspaper reports it is not long; since a lady . associated with the Y.W.C.A. incurred the Mayor's displeasure through not agreeing with, certain aspects of a public matter as! did two Salvation Army officers. The j main thing to-morrow is to put in a Mayor who has the confidence of all, i and in electing our councillors make iquitc sure that we are not putting in pacifists. The word dignity has been.; used quite often in advocating the return of the present Mayor. Again our! newspaper reports state that it is not : long since Mr Mansford's loss of dig-: nity caused him to thump the table! and definitely decline to have a per-! ; fectly reasonable resolution put at tho I largest public meeting of women held i j during the past year of war. Are the I women of the city going to risk a re-j currence of this sort of thing? j Again, in the clearing of Hokowhitu ! homos after the flood, two ladies who [ j visited the area on Tuesday morning, !of last week, while they could have!: | put on a body of women from their j | [own organisation, considered the fair p thing to do was to get in touch with ! 'the chairman of the W.W.S.A., who ' i are really merged in with the E.P.S. J now, and give all organisations , the I opportunity of helping their ! fellow women in distress. Miss War- | burton (chairwoman of the W.W.S.A.) , j was communicated with, and bv newspaper advertisement called out her j i women who were on deck at 9.30 next . jmorning and all who could do so have j f I been valiantly at work ever since. Now j ) lis it fair that in all the remarks made i f by the Mayor commending the work-1 s ers in the devastated areas he has!] never once mentioned the Women's I: War Service Auxiliary? , jl In regard to Mr Tennent'-s Candida- 1 turc, I would think it most desirable 1 to put him i.n as Mayor. His meet- c ings have been well conducted in an impersonal manner and ho would grace j the Mayoral chair. He would deal with j all sections of the community accord- 1 ing to their merits so that much ot i r the- atmosphere created in tho town \ I during the rmst year would disappear, ! \ and all would be harmony again. There!' must be a" true spirit of co-operation j' between the Mayor and all good citi- I ' zens.—l am. etc., I RATEPAYER. \] Palmerston North. 15/5/41. I 1

(to tho Editor.)

Sir, —To -morrow the people of Palmers ton JNorth arc uuu.cu to exercise uie privilege 01 electing those wliom they consider bc.si lined lo manage tlie affairs ot tticir city lor tne next tlirce jears. Tiiat privilege lias been Hon ior them by uie agitation and sacrifice 01 loaders ol thougiit in tlie past, by men and women who have uevoted their lives to the service ol humanity. That privilege has only been won a little at a lime, in tue teeth ot the strongest opposition uy the conservative elements, icpresenting class interests in the period in whieu it has been won. When a charter was given to the cities to elect their own representatives lx> manage their affairs only the wealthy property owners were entitled to participate. This right was gradually extended to housenolders, then to all males, and eventually to all citizens over the age ol twenty-one. Always was this opposed by the Conservative elements, always fought lor l>y tho loaders of thougiit, backed up by the social requirements of a socially changing world. It is to be hoped that the people will exercise that privilege. So many people do not rea.lise that all over the age of 21 arc entitled to vote. So many more do not realise the necessity of exercising that privilege. In 1933 1 was a candidate for council honours. There were at that time 1600 married men on relief work. With their wives that represented 3200 votes. On that occasion Air Aitchison topped the poll with only 2900 votes. 1 was defeated. Immediately after the council election a meeting of unemployed .asked me to act as .-spokesman on a deputation to the council to have an injustice remedied. 1 could only act for that deputation as a relief worker. If those 3200 relief workers and their wives had voted for me a week or two previously how much more effectively could I have represented them as a councillor instead of as a relief worker? To-morrow the people, the useful people of this city, have the privilege of electing their representatives. The leaders of thought in this socially changing world are the Labour nominees. If all the people vote, the return of .Mr Murphy- and tlie four Labour candidates is assured. In the election of 1938 6600 electors failed to vote. Those 6600 electors defeated the Labour candidates, not those who voted against us. A Mayor was elected who did not have the confidence of the people, either Labour or Conservative. Subsequent events have proved that. The Conservative elements voted blindlv against Labour ior a Mayor they did not want; 6600 electors, most of whom wanted Labour, did not bother to vote. My appeal to my fellow citizens is please exercise your vote. I make that appeal as a citizen, a ratepayer, as one who has invested his lile in this city, and il i may say so, as a soldier. Please I exorcise your vote and elect those you do want to manage your city.—l am, | etc., ' * ' I

V. A. CHRISTENSEN Palmerston North, 16/5/41.