YESTERDAY'S ELECTIONS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12881, 1 May 1913, Page 4

YESTERDAY'S ELECTIONS.

Tli-3 mait gratifying feature of yosi-.-r----duy'r.i -eloet ioiLS, &o fur as the local c:>ntGits' w-o-r-a cO'ncc-rm;-d, was the amicable spirit in. which they were fought. The ' thrco % gentlemen -who submitted .them*p!y*c,s ,-i-i candidates for tho Mayoral;.;wcra all known and highly esteemed, and although in our opinion Mr L:t'.l--km. ;r> tbo senior Councillor', ■nnd \y reason of his long ) -ab!-.1 and faithful service, was tho most entitled to the honour, wo none tho le'dr, heartily coxigratiilato the gentleman whose good fnrtiino it was to secure tlie coveted majority. Mr T. B. Williams is a worthy townsman, and foi- many yen/? ho has striven zealously to promote she ber-t interests of the town mm! district. Ho may bo depended on to <It> h,i.J l)^st to -woirthily uphold t'jo traditions of tho highest office within tho gift of • tho citizens. One outcome of the Mayoral contest is unqii€6tior>- \ ably .regrettable, and that is tliat tl;o burges.=O3 must lose tho services' of two such sterling Councillors as Messrs Liffifcon and Spriggens The loss of t\v<* good alien was inavitablo, und«r t'nv

cii-cumstaneea, but it. is none, the less to he r'egf'ett'ed.:* 'The'lmrg"eS£es-:'~ha'ys every '.reason to be &s.ti*fiv jd \ with the persoainei of the nev? Council, a*;-

though,, as was unavoidable, the selets i.io'ri. of twelve out of" nineto-en' candidates made ned&ssar^' tho". rejection, or some capable, men. The: Jesuit of .:ilie ■ Harbour Board* election must also bo; considered satisfactor^yas althougliori^ of the old members (Mr - John Jones)- j is replaced by a now member, (Mr J T. Muir),-the electors .gav^nan ■emphatic endorsement to tho policy to. winch i-heyr had previously subscribed. The inclusion'of'Mr Muif, : who should make. a good member, may -perhaps be interpreted as a hint that a not inconsiderable number of electors are desirous of tieaing the deepening of the river channel expedited as much <ac is possible within the moan;-: and circrim■.sliiircos io-f .the .Bc^rd. We bolio.vie all the gentlemen who stood, for reelection .are in sympathy with that desire, and that they will do all in their power to improve within' 'roa"/j:v.!>je time the navigable condition cf tho river .tip. to the limit fixed by the expert^. Tho outstanding,feature of tr.c Hospital Boajrd election is the fi'Ctthat two of the four successful candidp.iios are women. Time iwasl -whan two able tand cultured women occupied seats on tho Boardj but of >.-ir^ yoars its constitution had been w.hoi'y masculine. .It is for Mesdames Comyus ■ and Siddells to show "by the demoh^tVat:on of compel/aneo, discretion atid k-vel-headed administrative quialiiie.'i-■:-.;ons that tho return to the old'" order ia a step in the right direction. The ic?vi-rying of both the lean proposals ii only what was expected, but - .-th« issue of tho holiday battle was i.n;'do-t'J-t until the numbers wcro <announc<Vd. Both sides appeared to bo fairly covifident pi success, but the. result of, tho voting showed that the defenders, c f Thursday occupied by far tho stronger position in the: popular judgment. ■■■•