The Mayoralty and Maud Allan

Maoriland Worker, Volume 5, Issue 170, 6 May 1914, Page 8

The Mayoralty and Maud Allan

During the past week Wellington has been 'th? venue of two events of interest to thqso at all occupied with the living side of life Th-ire wero the Mayoral election and the dancing of Maud Allan. We. earnestly trust that no well-meaning person will accuse us of levity, or Philistinism, or even heresy, if we state that In our opinion tiiq latter was. the. mora important of fhe two. After calm, deliberate re. ftection on all the facta, we are. forced inevitably to the conclusion that, a favourable reception to the art of Maud Allan givtss better promise for the future, than, eyejU. the. election of a SsQQial D'-mooratic Mayor. We see no. reason, far despondency in the. number of votes- cast for Social Democracy in Wellington. On the. contrary, there is good cause for satisfaction and congratulation. But the reception given to Maud. AlUn. at. the Opera- House raises our hopes: fcr the Social Democratic, movement in Wellington higher than any amount* of votes possibly could. It seemed almost on awakening,, a casting aside of music hall sordidness, a reaching out after soul, satisfaction; a realisa. ion. of the living eternal reality of beauty. Social Democratic votes must, follow. Mr. Glover made. no. idle boast when he remarked on th». night of the poll that he. had. received the votes of the. intelligent portion of Wellington's citizens. It was simply the plain, truth. As intollig ttnee. spreads Social Democracy grows-.. The audience which attended the. Opera House lost, week is. proof posxtive/that : iuejligence is grow«'g. The. W<?Uuigten presA bailed the. ejection .result, as a crushing drfeat. for the. Social Dtynocxa. s, and as, a vote of confidence in the. policy, or lack of policy, of Mr. Luke, of co.urae, his. attitude, during the. strike and his. connection with the arbitration union. The latter contention is correct. The. majority of citizens voting passed by a substantial majority a vote of approval of tbe mounted special invasion. In other words, the Social Democrats, the supporters of tlie I_te strike, are clearly proved to be in fl minority. That, is plainly evident. What then.? We confess, we. are. not staggered by the fact. We own up. to. no. undue surprise. We frankly admit, that we guessed as much. A few facts are, however, just beginning to dawn upj.u our opponents. They are somewhat startling; After a campaign run under the greatest uncertainty as to the possibility of Mr. Holland going to the poll, after Mr. Holland's, compulsory withdrawal and the substitution of Mr. Glover, 'only a few days before the election; after all the doubt and anx. iety caused by such a position; after months of. consistent, sustained mis r representation and abuse, by the news, papers generally; after shrieking' columns, of editorial ignorance concerning syndicalism, anarchism, and all sorts of things which the. average loader writer is incapable, of understanding, the Social Democrats, polled a bed-rook vote, an irreducible minimuml of 4337. There are over four thousand-people in Wellington out in deadly earnest for Socialism. Their earnestness- and enthusiasm can be gauged by the fact that over three thousand, of them .filled tho. Town Hall on the; night preceding the election. No other Party can get such a' proportion of its- members or adherents to attend its- meetings. The. Social. Democrats fight. The [others merely vote It takes-an army |of motor cars to make, them even do 1 that. The. Social- Democratic votes are backed up by conviction and reason. The others are just votes. It is questionable, if two years ago a thousand votes would- have been cast for a Socialist candidate. Tor-day we have 4337 Socialist voters. In 1912. Mr. McLaren, waa elected-, as. fir.-£. Labour Mayra* of: Wellington on' a. votetof 4235. Ta-day tho, Social Democrats outonmher that, vote; by 102. Allowing; 2000. votes, cast for Mr. McLaren, to. be . Liberal,, wet have a. total, working" class vote of* 6876 to. -tart, further operations with, and. further operations: are going to be started right away. We- feel justified in claiming tho balance of Mr .McLaren's, votes- as: certain for a working class, candidate- because, days-of: the freelance, in Labour politics, are. not. only numbered, but over. Mc. Larenism, aa distinct, from Mr. Mc. L'aren. himself, with: whom. w_ have: no personal, difference, is. dead; A recognition,: of: that: fact: would help thingsconsiderably. Mr. McLaren got. a. largenumber of workers' voresron persona 11 and: sentimental grounds which, would* under other, circumstances: go to the. Social 'Democrat. Next, election that vote. is. certain for the. working, class candidate; Taking all the facts into considera-tion-we cannot agree with the. "Times," which,. true to time-honoured orthodox Liberalism, believes; "in Freedom's cause as far away as Paris is," that the extreme Labour section sustained "a crushing, defeat. A few, more, such defeats- and Social Democracy, reigns in the. Council Chamber. We. are not satisfied, with. the. election results, but it has: many satisfactory features. We can never be satisfied until we. win, not an election, but a people. That is our work, and that will be our: victory. Gratifying as, in many ways the* election result was, the:'roal victory last, week, was- won in the. Opera House. There, the greatest, progress was marked; There was. revealed the. greatest hope for the future. There was art: in free', joyous expression. There was. grace, beauty; interpretation of music, and poetry of motion. There was general uplifting- of the ; soul, perhaps not in prayer, but at least in thankfulressi '."he- andien. p- wis. appreciative, and during the last, few'- nights, even enthusiastic. They saw the best, and know it for such. That is tho whole:, question. When the people-will see the best they will

' claim it nf. their own. People who appro(uat3 beauty of form and motion will nut tolejcata ugliness and dirt. People- who love good pictures will not be satisfied with Umn dwellings. People who like beautiful drqss, even oa the st-ige, will not become willing slaves to tho deified dressmaker, Fashion, on ulie one hand, or stand shodd> clothes at- any price on the other. Tailormade I ifitn will va.iish. People who underi stand music will navex di:eam. of perpetuating the individual .washtub. L'eop'e who enjoy good books will no longer worship the kiteheu stove. The people who crowded the Opera Hous« inst week will sjon iindcrstaiui thai 'their- best ami nio*t buatitifjl i:i. lito can pnly. he- seo.L'v far loss thoroughly enjoyed, when shared in by all That is. the one—but essential—condition in the bond, People who sees the highest will obtain rbe hijjhes.!;. From Maud Allan to Socialism is hut a. step and a little ons.