INCIDENTS OF THE POLL.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11500, 5 February 1903, Page 5

INCIDENTS OF THE POLL.

Despite the large vote recorded at Sydenham, there wee -dttrinj tlte day but Bttle c.v cit*»ent noticeable. Up to noon the number who <h«l voted was somewhat small, but between that.time and two o'dockja decided improvement was notioedr*" The buik of the votes were cast between five o'clock and the closing of. the poll at eeven o'clock^

"Had (he vott« been taken in Sydenham on January 23b<1—when tihe poll on the question took place in the City and St. Albarts on 4 Xiiotvood—the -propesittl would riot have b«en carried he«," wae the remark made to a representative of "Tfce Prete" by a Sydenham resident, who hns excellent opport'nnities of gauging public feeling in the bbijouga- Svnoe the**, however, he recogaised tiaaX a <i«cid-ed change tuul come over public feeling in Sydenham, due in no email degree to toe euergetic and lively campaign ■which hae becvn waging in t-h* boToujh during tits past week, or ep. Hβ had noticed very little difference ia the penonnei of those who attended the meeting*, but jie alvo nated that ib*v were decidedly in earnest, and no doubt each one became a centre from which the argu' ments at t-iie meetinjps w«re widely die»cminaied. TUo booth at the Borough Council office*, it wa« popularly eupposed would tap the great opposltkmiist vote, and up to one o'clock it was estimated that overla hundred person* bad recorded their volee, and that, if anything, the oppositionist* were in the majority. At Bslwyn etreet, on the otiier bund, wbite, at the earne time, about the number had voted, it was estimated that to one oppositionist vote four were cast iv favour ot amalgamation. At the St. Savioiir'a and Walthnru Library booth* the voting was not heavy up to one o'clock, and it vmis difficult to catiaxate, even opproxiin;it#ly, how mi»tt«rs «4<iod. It da *t»ted that quite a number rl votsis who intended votnay for Greater Ohriztchurch found out when too laic tluit in Ktrikinj "the top iine" they had vrM J in the oppoiite direotion. Other cas.-.-i a.. % et»ted to have occurred where vows *;..-] struck out the very fimt or very last liius on the printed ballot paper. The number of informal votes cast wan not, however, v«iy large.