NO WILD EXCITEMENT.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 378, 27 April 1915, Page 6

NO WILD EXCITEMENT.

WELLINGTON MUNICIPAL CONTESTS.

From Our Special Correspondent. WELLINGTON, April 27. Judging by the correspondence columns of The Sun, some little interest is being taken in municipal matters in the Cathedral City. No such wild excitement obtains in Wellington. Although within a few days of an important election, very few people are interesting themselves in the candidates or the issues. If a big vote is recorded on Wednesday next it will be due to the fact that the half-holiday issue has caused those interested to put up an active campaign. For the Mayoralty we have a threecornered contest. The issue has resolved itself into Reform,. as represented by the sitting Mayor, Mr J. P. Luke, against Liberalism, in the person of Mr E. Fletcher. A woolly-headed little fellow named Chapman is standing as the nominee of the Labour Representation Committee. He may be marked down as a speck in the distance. Mr Fletcher's following is not so confident as it was at the outset, but the prevailing impression is that" he will just about win. The present Mayor is bound'to score heavily, on account of the splendid work which has been done by his wife. This seems to be his mainstay in the contest. A. feeling has grown, also, that' Mr Luke is able to give more attention to the city's interests than a man who is involved in duties and private business interests. CHANGES IN THE COUNCIL.

For the new council there will be five certain changes! Mr Fletcher retires from the council-table to contest the Mayoralty. Mr Hindmarsh retires because he finds he cannot give enough attention to his many public duties. Mr Trcgear retires for no very definite reason, except, perhaps, that he has seen himself as others see him. He has been a conspicuous failure as a city councillor. Mr Hislop has offered himsejf t'6r service at the front, and Mr. Buddie, one of the young lawyers who were elected two years ago, has had enough. If it is outside the scope of the Gaming Act to tip the result, I will venture the opinion that the* seats formerly occupied by these five councillors will be secured by Messrs W. H. Bennett, T. Bush, W. T. Hildreth, John Huteneson, and John 8. Swan.

Mr Bennett is a successful builder, and in the Employers' Asso : eiation. Mr Bush is known mainly as a leading bowler. Mr Hildreth has been a prominent Liberal for many years. He was ; secretary of the old. Knights of Labour many years ago, and has retained his association with the Liberal Party ever since. John Hutchcson was "formerly .a Labour stalwart. He generally topped the ipolF for Wellington City in the old triple electorate days, but went down badly when he measured his strength against Richard John. Seddon. The last time he offered himself for public approval was at the by-eleetiou which brought Mr F. M. B. Fisher into public life as his father's successor. On that occasion Mr Huteh'eson was rather severely dealt with by the electors. He is now probably trying, in a modest way, to see how many of the many-headed .have remembered, qv forgotten, the past. Mi« Swan is a leading architect who is anxious.to make town planning his.pet subject if returned i to the council.' If any" of the remaining ex-councillors are beaten, it will be Mr J. E. >Fitzgeraid... During the" recent General Elections he fell out with both Liberal and Labour men by refusing to recognise the armed peace which then obtained in the respective camps. If he is defeated then, probably Mr J. E. Jenkinson will fill the breach. Mr Jenkinson may be remembered as .one of the Labour four\who. were sent into the Upper House by the Ballanee Government away back in the early '9O 's. Last election he contested a seat in the Liberal interests somewhere in Otago. He is now selected on the ticket of the Greater Wellington Municipal Electors' Association. LABOUR'S UNDISTINGUISHED TEAM. Labour has a . mixed, team of no special merit. The nomination of Mr Chapman for the Mayoralty has turned the Labour vote sour. Some are of opinion that Mr H. E. Holland had af •chance, 1 mainly by reason of the fact I that he was the best advertised man of the . bunch. The Labour Representation Committee has spent the greater part of the last three months in internal squabbling. Mrs D. McLaren has been nominated by Lady Stout and a trade union secretary for a seat on the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. Her work in connection with the Children's Convalescent Hospital and charity work is very highly' praised by members of the board. Now, however, she is sub- j jected to abuse for accepting nomination. The trade union secretary who; has dared to sign her nomination paper is also censured. What they intend to do with Lady Stout is not yet very clear. Possibly his Honour the Chief Justice will be boycotted. Another candidate was refused nomination by the Labour Representation Committee. That ■did not prevent him from being nominated at the hands of two members of the Social-Democratic Party, who are supposed to be part and parcel of the j L.R.C. A third candidate signed the nomination paper of his Tory opponent and secured that gentleman's signature to his own nomination paper in return. The anger over this incident is inde- j seribable. A'fourth candidate had the j temerity to get tickets printed advocating his own candidature. This has brought down upon his devoted head untold maledictions.

Mr J. Fuller, junr., held the only real meeting of the campaign. Though not quite so original as usual his efforts did not lack a spice of unconscious humour. "It. is a pity," said .Mr Fuller, ''that we waste £6OO r\er year on organ recitals when that money could be used in providing pure milk to those poor people avlio cannot afford it." "What you want," Mr Fuller continued, "is specially 'supervised-'-milk for delicate people." These sentiments, I assure your readers, will win Mr Fuller hundreds of "votes. Mr A. R.; Atkinson is quite easily the brainiest man offering his services to the electors, but it is very doubtful whether he will seeure as many votes on election day as Mr John Fuller, jun. -IOJJJtf PLOWMAN.