BOROUGH COUNCIL ELECTION.

Kumara Times, Issue 2323, 7 February 1884, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL ELECTION.

*~M The poll for the election of a Borough Councillor to fill the vacancy occasioned by the retirement of Mr D. Hannan took place yesterday, and resulted in the return of Mr Henry Burger by a large majority over Mr George Stewart. Shortly after six o’clock the Returning Officer (Mr A. Skilton) announced the result to be— Yotes. Burger, Henry 76 Stewart, George. ... 22 The announcement was received with cheers. There were two informal votes, thus making the number of persons who voted exactly 100, from a Roll of 221. Although there was little or no interest manifested in the result, which was regarded as a foregone conclusion, a goodly number of electors and others gathered outside the Town Hall by the time the Returning Officer made his appearance, and, after the announcement of the result, Mr Burger said he thanked the electors for returning him ; it showed (he good.sense of the people of Kumara, and he regarded the large majority he had obtained as a token of acknowledgment of the satisfaction with which they had appreciated his past services.— [Applause.] Mr George Stewart also returned his sincere thanks for the support he had received, notwithstanding he had a small minority. He was not, however, going to shed tears, like a crocodile, over his defeat. It was only a few weeks ago that his opponent had publicly signified his intention of retiring from politics, and now he had come forward at the very next opportunity. He (Mr Stewart) would come again, and he hoped he would not have to knock many more times. He had been a servant of the Borough Council for five years and eight months, and he would defy anyone to say that he was guilty of a dishonest or dishonourable action. Whatever he promised, he would fulfil such promise. No person sitting at the Council table should be allowed to draw money from the Council. “ Jupiter ” might purge the Council, but he (the speaker) would fumigate them.—[Laughter,] They would never see him disgrace his position when he became a Councillor. He was one of the pioneers of the West Coast, and, he repeated could not be charged with any dishonest or dishonourable action.—[Applause.] He proposed a vote of thanks to the Returning Officer for the manner in which the election had been conducted. This terminated the proceedings.