THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. Some Random Comments.

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 147, 25 April 1903, Page 8

THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. Some Random Comments.

WELLINGTON has a choice collection of brainy citizens from winch to choose its civic lepiesentatives for the coming year. It seems rather a pity that 100 m cannot be made for the whole batch, foi, from what can be gathered of the abilities ot the candidates to laise the tone of local politics to a giddy pinnacle, it hurts the people to have to take some and \ea^ c others. As it is the fashion for some new candidates to lemark that, if elected, they will make a terrific onslaught on tho dark spots of our civic life, theie -"• a presumption that the men who ha\ c held honourable office m the past should be dug out, root and branch, to make loom for them. * * * It is nece&saiy to elect councillois for the new ward added to the city by the amalgamation of Melrose, and there aie offering a bunch of bright intellects that would grace any city. There aie Mi Keene, the sturdy ex-Ma\or of Melrose whoso gallant weathering of the storm almost entitles him to the snugger haven now in sight, Mi Fulfoid whose proud boast it is that he was instrumental in getting £10,000 allocated to the needs of his district and Mr. Jorgensen, whose election is considered hTTliploniatic circles to be assured * ' * Then, there is Mr. Frost, an ex-mayoi of Melrose, who went out of the civic fight with a determination not to return, but who now hears siren voices calling him on to the rocks of municipal politics. Who has not heard of Mr. Brannigan, the water expert, who might have now been M.H R for New town if he hadn't left -his notes at home, and who will be able to throw in the weight of his experience as a fire fighter and water conserver when the electors shall have asked him to come up higher p Mr. Reids eloquence might be useful, and Mr Morrah's business instinct wouldn't hmt. Isn't it a crying shame that some have to be defeated ?

Mayor Aitkeu hoped the other day that ho would, if he ncic returned again as Chief Magistiate, be flanked by the old war hoises. associated, with him in bringing about the present state oi things in the city. It will be noted that the old horses aie not spreading themselves in prose poems to woo the electors. They feel suie of thenground. They feel they are wanted to keep right on at the row they commenced hoeing, and to finish the march, with Mr. Aitken, to the goal of municipal perfection. Even though no councillor thinks it worth while to enquiie about those grossly overloaded cars fiom. the theatre to New town, and the lightly laden ones for Thorndon, the piesent councillors, if re-elected, may become infused with the spirit of the times when electricity is installed. It is not much good leaving a job half done, and the people will piobably show that they expect the men who started the work to see it through It it noticeable throughout New Zealand that the rush for mayoral billets is by no means great. In numerous boroughs present mayors have been again leturned unopposed, and it probably shows that if the Chief Magistrates are fathers of the systems under which their boroughs are worked, that the people are pleased w ith the systems, and want them to remain. * * * There are Wellington men anxious and willing 1 enough to be mayor should Mr. Aitken drop out, but there is no one bold enough to say that he is a better man for the billet than the man who k> mow entering on has fourth term of office. Mr. It. B. Williams, of Onslow, seems to have given satisfaction, for no one wanted to wrest the bauble from him, nor did the Huttites deem it necessary to give Mr. Orton Stevens 1 his ' walking ticket." Some day, of couise, when the passion for self-gloii-fioation has died out, intending candidates for civic honours will say nothing about their transcendent abilities — but the time is not yet. The average man does not revolutionise anything by bubbling egotistical sentiments. Probably, the cure for this kind of tiling w ould be to give councillors a< trial spm of a month to see if they lived up to their paper leputation.