MAYORAL CONTEST.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15782, 2 April 1919, Page 10

MAYORAL CONTEST.

AN OPEN LETTER TO HIS WORSHIP THE MAYOR. C. E. Mackay, Esq., Mayor of Wanganui. Dear Sir, —This (Tuesday) morning I received from you the following communication—which, curiqusly, happens ' to be dated April Ist; Wanganui, Ist April ,1919. L. J. Sigley, Esq., Wanganui. Dear Sir,—This morning’s “Chronicle” contains a statement by you that among tiie reforms you propose to initiate is “Fair play to all men; no interference with the Staff in carrying out the instructions of the Council.” Such a statement conveys a grave insinuation against the present Council or some members of it, and also against tee Council’s officers. I therefore ask you to state at'once whether you suggest that any Councillor or myself have interfered with the Staff, and, if so, to give specific instances and particulars of what you allege. Yours faithfully, "C. E. MACKAY. In reply I have to say, Sir, that I exceedingly regret that you should so soon have displayed your annoyance at my candidature for the position you have occupied for eleven years. While quite expecting that you would resent any attempt, by whomsoever made, to deprive you of what you have evidently come to regard as your exclusive privilege, my hope was that you would at least contest the issue in a friendly spirit. However, you have chosen to read into my statement of policy what you term “a grave insinuation” against my fellow-councillors and the officers of the Borough. They, I am sure, require' no assurance from me in contradiction of your unwarrantable assumption. As for yourself, sir, it might be kinder on my part were I to leave it to you to supply “specific instances” of the kind you request me to furnish. If, however, it will assist you to understand what I mean by “interference with the staff,” I will give you just one Instance which, I think, will fully serve the purpose. You will remember, sir, that some little time ago, in connection with a loan proposal at that time before the burgesses, you caused to be privately convened a meeting of the Borough employees on the works staffs (considerably over 100 men). Yon will remember, also, that I happened quite by accident to hear of that meeting in time to enable me to attend it while it was in progress. The men were “knocked off” before the proper time to enable them to attend the meeting. I listened to your address, which was to the effect that if the loan were “turned down” it would probably mean the curtailment of the staff, while if it were carried their employment would be secured. The tenor of your speech was clearly calculated to influence them to vote for the loan. The men were carrying out the instructions of the Council when they were “knocked off” for the purpose of hearing your advocacy of a loan. This, sir, is what I regard as interfering with the staff, and I venture to believe that all right-minded citizens will agree with me. If you have any doubt as to the accuracy of my recollection of the incident, I refer you to the local papers of that date. Yours faithfully, L. J. SIGLEY. *