MAYORAL ELECTIONS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1336, 26 November 1885, Page 2

MAYORAL ELECTIONS.

Ashburton. The annual Mayors. election took place in Aabborton yesterday. From an early hoar in tbe morning the proceedings attracted considerable attention, bat the total number of votes polled was rather smaller than in the contest of last year, when Mr Friodlander and Mr Harrison, the two' oand dates, secured 136 votes and 71 votes respectively. At 7 o’clock last evening a number of ratepayers had congregated in front of the Borough Council Chambers, and Mr Charles Braddell, the Returning Officer, announced the result of tbe : diy’s polling to be as follows : R. Friedlander 83 A. Harrison... ... ... 44 D. Thomas 34 Informal 2 The Returning Officer declared Mr Rudolph Friedlander duly elected Mayor of the Borough of Ashburton for tbe ensuing year.—The declaration was received with cheers; and on the successful candidate coming forward the applause was renewed.

Mr B. Friedlander said it was his pleasing doty to thank them for having a second time placed him in the Mayoral chair. Ha felt that a very high honor had been conferred upon by the burgesses of 'Ashburton, and he accepted the result of the contest as an indication that the work done by the Council during bis term of office met with the approval of the ratepayers. He did not think there were any burning questions before the Council or agitating tbe minds of the ratepayers at tbe present moment, but a step taken by the Council at its last meeting, the adoption of a policy of retrenchment necessitating the reduction of salaries and the discharge of tbe labor gang, bad doubtless attracted their attention. Ha need hardly assure them that policy was adopted after mature consideration and with the very greatest reluctance, but it was rendered compulsory by the financial position .of the Borough It was the only means by which they could reduce their formidable bank overdraft. He thought the Council might fairly take considerable credit to itself,under the oircamstances,for what it had effected during tbe past year. It had undertaken several large and important works—notably the traffic bridge now approaching completion, to the cost of which the Oonnoil had bean compelled to make a large contribution. Tha bridge, while a convenience to tha whole district, was a work of which, ha w>s sure, the town of Ashburton might well feel proud. Therefore other important matters dealt with oy the Council daring the past year, to which there was no need t» refer, and he would nc»t unnecessarily occupy their time. He was pleased, however, to know that the two other candidates had no animosity,or objection to him.; they had not opposed him, they had opposed one another. Since the nomination day they had both essayed to withdraw their candidatures, but having deliberated about the matter too long they ware debarred by the provisions of the Act from carrying oat their wishes in that direction. (Appiause.) Mr Alfred Harrison, who was received with applause, said he was pleased to be there qt their call, no matter in what

position. He waa pleased and proud to occupy a seat in the Botongh Council, and hoped he might have the honor to serve them for a considerable period. it wap quite unnecessary for him to say that be had always striven, to the best of his ability, to conscientiously serve the bur* gasses. His Worship tbe Mayor had toid them something of the circumstances of his(Mr Harrison’s) candidature, but—not, he was sore, with any desire to create a false impression—he had left a good deal untold. He (Mr Harrison) had asked Mr Thomas, who was spoken of as a likely candidate for the mayoralty,to stand aside and permit him to be nominated. They mast remember that ha bad beau a Oonu-

oiltor for five years and Mr Thomas for barely two years. The day fixed for the nominations he was in Christchurch attending a meeting of the Charitable Aid Board, but previous to leaving town he handed a form of nomination and a cheque for the necessary deposit to Mr Bird with

instructions that they should be lodged with the Returning Officer if Mr Friedlander did not stand. He bad told Mr FriedI nder that if the burgesses requisitioned him (Mr Friedlander) to stand he would not oppose him. ,On returning from Christchurch he was' considerably surprised to find that three candidates bad been nominated, of which he was one, but Mr Bird explained that having learnt of Mr Thomta’a nomination he handed to the Returning officer the papers entrusted to him, and he (Mr Harrison) approved of the coarse Mr Bira had adopted. He would under any circumstances have opposed Mr Thomas’s can udatnre. He had explained the circumstances of the case at aome lengtbKva the partial statement of facts made by the Mayor might possibly mislead them. Mr Williamson, a gentleman who had interested himself in the candidature of Mr Friedlander, afterwards moved in she matter and as a result Mr Thomas and he (Mr Harrison) tendered their withdrawals, but too late, as they had learnt, for acceptance, in conclusion he stated that the Council had dona good

practical work in the past, which would, he thought, meet with the approval of the ratepayers. He would oppose any steps likely to increase the present rate of Is; if it were once increased it would go on growing until their burdens became equal to those of Oainaru and other large cities. They were not there to discuss municipal matters, but to carry out special badness, and he would say no more beyond assuring them that if they desired him at any time to receive an honor at their hands he would be prouad to do so.

Mr Thomas, who was very favorbly received, said he would not, although he held a vary respectable minority, attempt so long an oration as they had Just received from Mr Harrison. Circumstances, to which he need not refer at any length, bad militated very much against his candidature. He was not in town on the day of the nominations, and had from the first expressed his readiness to withdraw in favor of the Mayor. The two other speakers had given their version of the affair, and ha need only say that he had offered to withdraw if Mr Harrison would do so, but Hit Worship declined to take any steps in the matter. Subsequently Mr Williamson and another gentleman took the matter up, and it. was agreed that Mr Harrison and he (Mr Thomas) should withdraw. But this arrangement had been arrived at too late. He had not canvassed or attempted to influence a single vote, and, under the cironmstanoes was not discouraged by the position he occupied on the}poll. Mr Harrison was a “ peripatetic mayor-standee this was the fourth or fifth time ha had sought election, and last year, too, he asked him (Mr Thomas) to withdraw.—Mr Harrison: I deny it. It is not true.—Ur Thomas : You deay_ it, do you ? Didn’t yon oome to me anil ask me to withdraw ? 1 can very soon prove it.—Mr Harrison : You said it was the fourth or fifth time I had sought election.) —Mr Thomas concluded by saving be would come forward again, and acme day #ould be Mayor of Ashburton.

A vote of thanks to the Returning Officer, proposed by the Mayor and se. conded by Mr Thomaf, concluded the proceedings. *

Greymontb. Mr Nantearrotr defeated! Mr Bfooknidre for WUyontlty by ty)Q to 10.

Sydenham. The following is the result of tha Mayoral election in the Sydenham Borough yesterday : Mr Tames Forrester 437 Mr James Temple Fisher ... SB6 Majority for Mr Forrester... 141 . Akaroa. Geat interest was shown yesterday la the Mayoral election. The result was z Mr A. L M’Gregor ... ... 62 Mr W. Penlington 28 Mr M’Grsgor has now been elected three years consecutively. Wellington. There was a good deal of excitement over the Mayoral election. Councillor A.W. Browne was elected by « majority of 43. UlsnlistiH. Mr George Henderson was re-elected Mayor by a majority of 25 over Mr Was. Dodslin, after tbe keenest municipal fight ever known in Blenheim. Hokitika. There was a very keen contest for the Mayoralty. The election resulted in tbe return of Mr Jno. Tait. The rotes were: Tait 172 Michel ... 166 Dnaadis. , Mr John Barnet was' elected Mayor fay a majority of 165 over Ur Spedding. Invercargill. Mr J. L. M’Donald was elected Mayor of Invercargill by a majority of 188 oyer Mr J. Kingsland.