KEEN CONTEST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23954, 1 November 1939, Page 6

KEEN CONTEST

MAYORALTY OF WESTPORT CLOSE VOTE RECORDED (Per United Press Association) WESTPORT, Oct. 31. Keen interest was taken in the Mayoral election caused by the recent resignation of Mr John Kilkenny, who again offered himself as a candidate and was opposed by Mr John McLean Robertson, a former councillor and deputy Mayor. The voting resulted:— Robertson 945 ■ Kilkenny 809 There are still 395 declaration votes to be counted. MINISTERS AND ELECTION AN EMPHATIC REPUDIATION STRONG WORDS FROM MR SEMPLE “I am not concerned about your municipal squabbles,” the Minister of Public Works (Mr R. Semple) told Westport residents at the ooening of the Orowaiti bridge on Friday last. “ You can scratch your eyes out for all I care, but to accuse my colleague (Mr Webb) and me of burning benzine to come here to support the Mayoral candidate, as was done by a human reptile lying in the columns of a newspaper is base ingratitude.” Mr Semple made a strong attack on the writer of a letter in a local newspaper, which suggested that the visit of both Ministers was timed to give support to Mr Kilkenny in the contest for the Mayoralty. Mr Kilkenny recently resigned, but was persuaded to allow himself to be nominated again. “ I know, and Mr Semple knows, that the article does not express the opinion of many people in the district.” said Mr Webb. “The great mass of people, irrespective of political opinions. realise that we are out to do our best for the district, and it is a pity that minds as big as whitebaits’ find their way into the papers. Mr Semple knew nothing about the election until I told him. When I heard that Mr Kilkenny had resigned, 1 telegraphed asking him to reconsider his decision, as I realised his value to the district. “So that all minds shall be disabused, let me say I do not intend taking part in the election, as the people of Westport are sufficiently Wise to select the man they want.”

The letter was described as a scurrilous document by Mr Semple. It suggested, he said, that they were prepared to come to Westport at the country’s expense to help in a municipal contest between two individuals. He was visiting the town at the invitation of the county chairman, and also to find out the district’s needs and to inspect land development. “ I came here for nothing else, yet I am advised by this anonymous scribe not to take part in the contest, and to remember my duties. Fancy some humbug that does not possess the gizzard of a whitebait trying to tell me my duty! The people who elected me know I know my duty, and I do not want to be advised by an emjltyheaded coward and the quintessence of an unmitigated liar what to do.” Mr Webb: Make it plain, Bob. Mr Semple said that he could not find a copy of the letter in his pocket, which was just as well, as it might have contaminated his body. “If the writer is present.” he added, “ he should step forward, so that I could tell him to his face that he is a cringing cur to suggest that I am running about taking part in municipal elections. I have bigger things to do than to worry about the mayoral contest in Westport.”