MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5119, 29 April 1927, Page 2

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

CH. I’. E. BREN AN TOPS I’D LU BATHS LOAN CARRIED. At an early hour on Wednesday morning the town of Paeroa was astir. Dull, showery, cold weather prevailed for the biennial municipal elections-, but notwithstanding these adveise conditions the poll was a heavy one. Residents of long standing in the borough particularly took a keen interest in tlie election, and added interest was provided in the poll taken to raise the sum of £2OOO for tne purpose of establishing municipal swimming baths. There were nine candidates for munipical honours, but only eight vacancies existed. It is very gratifying to record that an ex-Mayor of the borough and a well-tried and progressive man in the person of Mr P. E. Brenan topped the poll on this occasion. Tt is also worthy of record that the confidence of the burgesses was in the retiring councillors evidenced by the fact that they were all returned again to office.

That ratepayers are prepared to shoulder the burden of an additional rate to provide swimming baths —a most desirable and necessary adjunct to any progressive town- —was clearly shown by the- polling, which resulted in 292 votes being recorded in favour of the proposal, while those against were only 89 —over a three-to-on-e majority. ” In all, 761 votes were recorded out of 1156 names on the roll, which equals nearly 66 pe.r cent, of the total. As is usually the case, polling was heaviest between 3 and 7 p.m., but the stream of people to the Borough Chambers, which was the only polling booth, was steady all clay. Closing at 7 p.m., the results were announced shortly after 9 o’clock by the returning officer, Mr AV. C. Alexander. A large crowd gathered outside the borough office, and the results were, rcceivedenthusiastically, A word of credit is due to the returning officer and his staff, Mr R. AV. Evans (deputy- returning officer), and Miss J. Butler and Mr C. B. Gentil (poll clerks) for the. prompt and courteous manner in which the poll was conducted. On the results being made known each newly elected councillor, at the invitation of the Mayor (Mr W. Marshall), thanked the assemblage for the. support accorded and renewed their intentions to support the policy outlined by the Mayor. After the official recount the numerical order of the votes recorded for the various candidates is as follows :— P. E. Brenan .. • • .. 560 E. Edwards • • • ■ • ■ 534 J. AV. Silcock 516 F. E. Flatt 511 H. J. Hare 440 E. A. Porritt 432 AV. Turner. 430 ■mJ, Pinder ' 421 R. B. Dunloo • • • • • • 390 The unsuccessful candidate was Mr R. B. Dunlop.