MT. COOK SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 235, 27 June 1908, Page 5

MT. COOK SCHOOLS.

i MASS MEETING OF ELECTORS. AN EXCITED CATHERINC. '£ NEW COMMITTEE CHOSEN. If the first election, for tho 1908 Committee of the Mount Cook Schools was an exciting event, election No. 2 was considerably more 60. Ever since the Committee, which was elected on April 27, was put out of office on account of irregularities in the conduct of the election, and the date for a new election fixed, the Mount Cook District has been in a. Btate of sectarian ebullition. Manifestoes WCtg prQinulgated, "tickets" cast, and cacli faction in the contest organised its fighting force.- Tho battle was fought at the Druids' Hall, Taranaki Street, last' night, but it was not a sanguinary conflict —it was a burlesque of tho choicest description, flavoured with farce-comedy, heated argument, and other ridiculous conoomitants inseparably connected with such occasions. Fortunately for tho business of the meeting, His Worship tho Mayor (Hon. T. W. Hislop) had consented to attend. The big hall was packed with a mass of excited electors, and the announcement that the Mayor had consented to preside was i. greeted with cheers. But His Worship had a strenuous time. He had scarcely settled down to business when tho voice of opposition 1 was heard. WANTED TO KNOW. Mr. W. C. Noot wanted to know whether tho Mayor's status as Chairman of the meeting was legal. Mr. Reia: That's all right, Mr. Noot. Mr. Noot: It's not all right, Mr. Reid; I .want Section 103 of the Act read. i The Mayor:, The question has been raised as to whether I can act as Chairman or not. I am not particularly desirous of acting—l havo no doubt the duties will be arduous. Those in favour, of my presiding at the meeting. hold up the' right band. • Mr. Noot jumped up excitedly, mounted a chair." Mr. Hislop, I object." Chorus: Sit down! sit dowal ' For. a few' moments pandemonium raged. During a lull in the storm, the Mayor managed to utter an invitation to those who objected to his status, to show hands. Mr. Noot again attempted to get a hearing. "Mr. Chairman—- —" , Chorus: Sit- down 1 sit down! Mr.' Noot persevered. "Mr Chairman " Chorus: Put him out! The Mayor: Sit-down, Mr. Noot. Mr. Noot, from his chair: I ask for your ruling • Tho Mayor: Will'you sit down? Mr. Noot: I want Section 103 - The Mayor: "If you don't sit down I'll have you removed." This threat was greeted ~ .with frantic applause; Mr. Noot remained on his chair, vainly appealing to the Mayor, and again tho chorus rose: Sit downl" ' . A Voice: I'll put 'im : out myself. • At this stage the Mayor ruled that it was perfectly competent for him to preside, and Mr. Noot subsided. . There then ensued a period of comparative calm, during which tho Mayor laid down tho oonditiolis of the election, read out the boundaries, "—and the' eastern boundary at Section 708" he concluded. 1 ' ' A Voice: Whereabouts ■ : ia Section seven-uouglit-eight?; : THE CANDIDATES. Tho Mayor read out, amid good-humoured ; 'interruptions, the .names of. the nominees, and asked if there were any other nominations? ' A voice: Where's Don Fisher PAnother voice: I second that—l second that—l second that 1 ; The voice of Levity: 'Ave another go! ( During a lull in the chorus of interjectiono a broad Doric broke in: A. " Maister Chairman, a, want tae know if a man in tho district wi' liae weans at tho skule has a richt tae vote?" A voice: Ou ay. : "Maister Chairman,, a want an answer tae ma question," persisted "the son o' the hither." The Mayor: Yes? The Scotchman: "If the parents o' the weans are no attending the skule " He got no further. The orowd yelled with de- ' light. - ■ At this juncture (about nine o'clock). Mr. 'Avery suggested that each candidate should i' bo allowed half-an-hour wherewith to express his views,- and tho crowd gave way to un■controllable f mirth. Everybody was having '.a, good time. . > • Then came another calm; broken by a 4 plaintive wail: Mr. Chairman, will you please separate the sheep from the goats? (Uproar.)- ', : ■ , , The voice of impatience: Will you put the names on the board and let us voter Somebody else: Mr. Chairman ■ Impatience: Put the names up and let us vote. The Mayor here announced that tho Act did not specify whether candidates could express their views or not.-, He would trust to the honour of those present that any one nob oligiblo would abstain from voting. (Hoar, hear.) " ON THEIR HONOUR." Mr. Avery, with a flash of inspiration! Mr. Chairman, I think yo'u : ought to make, i' thorn swear on their honour. When I was a boy (he was dreadfully'in earnest), we iised to swear, on our honour by putting our thumbs in our, mouths. (Hear, hear!) I propose—(uproar)—that you ask those present to put their thumbs—(wild delight of the audience). . ■ | The Mayor applied.the "closure : I suggest that you put your thumb in your mouth and.keep>it .there., (Cheers !). . ■ , THE BUSINESS OF THE EVENING. At this stage the ballot,box was produced, i voting cards given out, and' tho meeting quietened down to the business of tho evening. After writing down the names of thoso whom they wished'to elect, the voters filod downstairs and dropped their cards in tho. ballot box, which was placed in charge of a scrutineer half-way down tho stairway. There 'was no discipline preserved ,and at times the -crush ori the stairs was pretty, serious. : The . Mayor relieved tho press by taking.up hia position near tho ballot box and directing the stream. Tho excitement was practically over by this time, and while tho scrutineers were engaged ■in counting the votes, .the electors—some of them—liuug about outside; others went'home. '.. THE RESULT. Altogether, twenty-nine candidates . were nominated, no fewer than three separate " tickets," all -declaring .in favour of main- \ taining our present system of education, being represented. The 'counting of tho votes was a tedious business, there bejng only ono ballot box, and 516 voters. Shortly after midnight tho Mayor and the ' scrutineers emerged from the ante-room and mounted tho platform. A scattered remnant of the orowd, including some women : and children, had remained to hoar tho result, which was as follows, tho first nine names being those of tho successful candidates:— W.' Burbldge ... 215 -J. A. Chlsholm ... ... ... 207 H. 0. Hewitt 207 H. Hanton ... ... "... ... 193 j. J. Callaghan ... 181 j. A. Robinson ... ... ... 189 j. f. Kuch ... ... ... ... 180 T. M. Mut-phy: ... ... ... ISO T. S. Lambort ... ... ... 178

R. Simpson, 174; H. S. Cobnrn, 172; G. W. Purdy. 168; T. M'Gann, 166; B. Nolan, 165; T. O'Brien. 157; J. Lodge, 152: C. Reid, 145; G. "Williams, 128; M. H. Biggs, 88: D. M Lean, 69; C. Weybourne, 64; H. F. Green, 63; G. W. Dickinson, 62; C. G. Ithimes, 53; J. Wilson, 49;' P. Sorenson, 36 r J. H: Playne, 32; P. Wilson, 29; T. ,H. Uridge, 27. The previous committee consisted of Mestrs.. Raid (chairman), Murphy (secretary). Lodge, O Brien, Nolan, Hyland, liartin,' Hogg, Burbidge. Of those, only two wero elected to tho new committee. One "ticket" secured six seats, another two, and the third one.

L A hearty voto of thankß to-the-Mayor and [. scrutinoers was passed»