The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 1911.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3197, 19 April 1911, Page 4

The Gisborne Times . PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 1911.

Mayoralty to be Contested.

It is now practically certain that there will be a contest for the office of “chief magistrate” of the borough. I T n willing that Mr. Lysnar should be allowed a “walk-over,” Cr. Sheridan, before leaving on a recent visit to Auckland, filled m the necessary nomination paper, which he has directed shall be used in the event of their being no other aspirant but the. present occupant of the position. For some time it has been thought not unlikely that Cr. AY. Pettie might yield to the -wish of numerous triends that lie should offer his services in this regard, but lie has persistently declined to accede to the request. As the name of no other citizen has been seriously mentioned in connection with the'office, it would therefore now appear tnat the election will resolve itself into » straight-out contest between Air. -Lysnar and Air. Sheridan. Any remarks as to which is the more deserving of support might well be deferred in the meantime, seeing that the rival aspirants have not yet had an opporti rity to issue .their “platforms.” The fact that the Alayoralty is to he contested is news which, we feel, should give general satisfaction. If such had not been the case it might have meant that it would have been impossible to get an adequate verdict on the part of the electors as to how, in their opinion, municipal matters have been dealt with during the past two years. AYith two strenuous 'candidates for the office of Mayor, in addition to a fairly large lumber of aspirants for positions on the Council, it should, however, ensure a thorough discussion on all questions uKch have been engaging the attention of the electors. That the “fight” will be keen perhaps to the degree of fierceness, we think, may be taken for granted Both Mr. Lysnar and Air. Sheridan have a capable grasp of local affairs, but on many points their views clash sharply. More than that, the contest may be expected to prove—as also will the election as regards the Counc.l—a good barometer as to the feeling which exists, in regard to the policy which Air. Lysnar has prosecuted. If the by-elec-tion which took place in July last may be taken as any criterion —and for our own part we believe l ■ that it can —it would seem that that policy as carried out has not gained for Air. Lysnar additional admirers, but, on the other hand, ha • lost for him not a little support. Cr Sheridan (it will be recalled) failed to secure re-election to the Council at the bi-ennial contest- two years ago. On that occasion there were no fewer than twenty candidates for, but nine seats, and Cr. Sheridan was able' to secure only thirteenth position on the list. As a better indication of Cr. Sheridan’s municipal strength two years ago, it may be pointed out that Air Kirk, who topped the poll, secured 1221 votes, whilst Air. Clayton, who was at the bottom of the list of successful candidates, polled 815 votes. Those who supported Ci Sheridan at this appeal to the elec-, tors numbered in all 674. AA r lien the result was announced, it may further be remembered Cr. Clayton offered to resign his seat- in favor of Cr. (then Air; Sheridan, whom he described “as the ablest member of the last Council,” if it were certain that he would be returned. Upon Cr. Somervell retiring in July last," Cr. Sheridan availed himself of the opportunity to endeavor to regain a seat on the 1 Council, and he was successful in defeating Air. AV. F. Crawford, one of Air. Lysnar’s leading supporters. The figures, it may ( b© mentioned, were: Sheridan 894, Clawford 825. If Air. Lysnar himself had

not I>oen absent ; at Home, .ib is COU . not certain that the contest W have had a different result. StUlit has to be borne in mind that the stiug gle was a hard one, as is shown >? fact that 1741 electors out of about 4000 eligible voters exercised their pi mlogo at the ballot box, which can on y be regarded as indicating censurable interest in the case of a by-e ec 1 With the advent of a vigorous rival m Cr. Sheridan to Mr. Lysnar for the coveted position of Mayor, and more especially if candidates for membership on the Council are numerous, much interest may now be expected to cen around the municipal elections.

The present situation in regard to India was the subject Indian Discontent, of some interesting remarks bv uord Minto, the ex-Viceroy of India, upoii being presented with the Freedom of London on his return Home recently. Before he had been many months m India, said Lord Minto, it became -\i dent to him that they would, before long be confronted with an accumulate mass of popular discontent, which many loyal Indians believed to lie due to disregard on our part of their just hopes. If this discontent had been allowed to continue, it would have undoubtedly developed into a far more dangerous hostility than anything with which the\ subsequently had to deal, in that it uas the conviction of honest, loyal, and moderate men. So far as they cou.d judge the character of the discontent, it was due to a dawning be.ief that greater opportunities must be granted for the official expression of Indian public opinion, and that a. greater share must be offered to Indians in the government of their country. The growth of public opinion was hastened and matured by the successes of Japan, which produced an enormous impression in the East. They were very soon confronted also with an-agitation of a far more dangerous character. Certain murders which occurred gave the clue to a widespread conspiracy having for its object the removal of British officials by assassination, and the ultimate disappearance of British rule from India. The leaders of that agitation must have had very little knowledge of the stuff of which British officials were made. By force of circumstance the Government of India was called upon to follow a dual line of action—to recognise the necessity of administrative reforms, and l at the same time to put its foot down sternly on every form of political sedition. It was a dual action, and as such it was peihaps not unnaturally, somewhat misunderstood at Home. At the same time it was his firm belief that ill.' Government of India to-day was fairly entitled to claim that the quiet which now reigned in India was due to the policy that was then adopted. “It was,” added Lord Minto, “a period naturally of very great anxieties—anxieties immensely increased by the misguided actions of individuals in Great Britain, who did not hesitate to sympathise with the worst and most dangerous revolutionary agitators in India, whilst plots were deliberately hatched in -•undom and in Paris for the assassination of the officers of the King which the people of India looked upon with the same disgust and contempt as did the King’s officers themselves.”