Penarth Chronicle and District Advertiser

Notes and Comments. SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION. Br the time the Chronicle this week is in the hands Of the people, the election will, practically, be over, but there are, nevertheless, incidents, which may be of interest and service in the future, as showing how the election has been fought. List week it was asserted that the action of the Undenominational party bringing forward new candidates, was the. cause of the contest, but that was known to be, false. The argument, however, served a purpose, for the time JîeÏng, but the idea was dispelled, for as soon as it was found that Mr George Carslake Thompson, who there was good reason for beJie\?jng, when Messrs Saunders and Jones Thomas were nominated, had deserted the faith, was prepared, and actually did give all the asul,aiice,.i required, so soon did those gentlemen withdraw from the struggle, and fevery effort was made by the Rev Sweel-Escott, and his colleagues, Mr Snell and Mr Riches, to save the town the expense and the old members the annoyance of a S contest. Mr Riches was quite prepared to withdraw, provided Dr Aitken would do the same, but that gentleman was not to be talked over, and as a result there are nine candidates before us for the seven vacancies,-five Churchmen and four Undenom- inationalists. All regret that Mr Holman is not in the running, for he is a gentleman of the first order, a sound educationist, courteous and kind to a degree, but he stated at the outset, that were there a contest he should withdraw, for there was not one out of the whole lot nominated that he should be pre- pared to fight against. Thus have the Ratepayers lost the services of a good man. Mr T. Emlyn Jones now makes the fourth Undenominational candidate, and is running with Messrs Carslake Thompson, Jenkin Llewellyn and Sam Thomas. This is the first time in Penarth he has sought public honours. As the Rev W. G. Davies put it on Monday night, he has yet to win bis spurs. He comes, however, from a good stock, and if the Ratepayers call upon him to serve them, we have no doubt he will honourably and faithfully discharge his duties. Mr Lloyd, as three years ago, is running single handed. He, ou the last occasion, and this was hia first appearance in public for School board honours, was returned at, the head of the poll, and we have no doubt be will again sit at the Board table. Then the actual fight lies between Mr Emlyn Jones, Mr Cecil Riches and Dr Aitkin, an Undenominationalist, a Churchman, and an Independent, and it is probable fiat the last of these will be the successful one, not altogether because of his business capabilities, but because of that oft times unfortunate arrangement, by which an elector can record the whole of hili voles for one candidate. The Doctor does not ask for much oh, no, he is not selfish; he only asks for the whole loaf. His address is a model. Take the foilowing paragraph as a sample :—« I promise to look after your interests and those of your children, both generally, and especially medically, and by voting in the above-mentioned manner, you will gain a two fold advantage which not a single one of these contesting this election can offer you." Delightfully concise and definite are the words which not one single one of those contesting this election can offer you. According to this his promise iu the Brut part is nullified, for he himself is one of the candidatas. But what is implied in the words I promise to look after your interests and those of your children, both generally and especially j medically ? Is Dr Aitkin going to pose as a public J benefactor and medical philanthropist, and, if elected, supply brimstone and treacle, and salts and castor oil free to all his supporters and their children ? But joking aside. What are the Doctors views as regards the policy of the Board, and the Undenominational platform ? In an interview which we had with him on Thursday morning, he said "if elected, I would support the present p,icy of the Board, and oppose any teaching of a dognuiic character. I would ep- pose placing Denominational schools on the same foot- ing as Board schools unless under popular control. I should not, I think, favour further subsidising I Denominational schools." The Doctor farther added I am a thorough Tory; but there is no question about my being elected. It has been asked whether Mr Lloyd is riding on the Church or the barrel. Evidently not the former, for The Rector and Meisrf Snell and Riches have issued a joint address, yet Mr Lloyd is certain to be returned. The Non-confor- mistg of Penarth ought to carry their four men, were they but united, but there is such an amount of apathy and indifference among them, that it will lie one of the greatest wonders- Whilst there have been bickerings and dissentions in the ranks of the Unde- nominational party, the Church party and the Inde- pendents have been hard at work. The early birdt get the best picking, wbilst the late comers can only gather from the refuse. We do not say this offen- sively but merely refer to it as a lesson which all Unde nominationalists mighttlearn, though it might be at the eleventh hour, yet we appeal to Nonconformists to bestir themselves. To them we say, your votes are needed. Our party cannot afford to lose one. Just now then be up and doing, and for dear life, raHy to the poll, and vote only for Jones, Llewellyn, Thomas and Thompson, as shown on the cards issued by the candidates. NO POLITICS. Whenever a local election has taken place in Penarth, the cry has gone forth, raised by the Tory party, No politics," and the division in the Liberal ranks at the time of the District Council Election last December, was on account of the determination of many to keep politics out of the contest- Those who fought so ardently against the question, and opposed sc strongly some of our best men, on account of theiféxpresspd political views, now see the error of their ways, and regret their action. The question of politics has during the past week been religiously barred from the discussions which have taken place at the meetings held in support of the Undenominational candidates, but the Church party, evidently elated by t te success of Major Quinn at the General Election, has issued an address appealing to Churchmen and Coi-, serrat i ves to support the candidature of the Reotor, and Messrs Snell and RicheB for the School Board. The challenge has been thrown out, the Liberal party and Nonconformist* will not forget this action. The Tories have stolen a march upon us, but a time of reckoning will surely come, and psihaps sooner than is anticipated. We do not blame the Church and Tory party for their activity-nay, rather, we commend them, but we would that their example might be followed by the Nonconformists snd Liberals of the district- Will it be considered out of place or iiioppor. tune if we now raise the cry 11 Organise! organise 1 There was never a greater need for us to rally out forces; and there was never a time when more strenuous exertions have been required to get our army iu fighting trim. The Conservatives have lon £ ago pat their house in order, and with them neither money nor energy is lacking to provide all that 1* necessary to keep everything in tact. These local elections, they realise, will maintain the interest of