THE ELECTIONS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 123, 28 April 1925, Page 5

THE ELECTIONS.

INTEREST IN TO-MORROW’S POLLS. A large measure of interest is being evinced in the local body elections to take place to-morrow. One of the most interesting issues is the half-holiday question. Tho advocates of both the retention of the midweek holiday and the adoption of the Saturday half-holiday have engaged in liberal propaganda work and the outcome is purely a matter for conjecture. It is now four years since a poll on the half-holiday question was taken locally and in 1921 Wednesday was carried by 2595 to 1262.

This year the number of electors on the roll is in the region of 10,0UU, and tlie percentage of votes recorded should be a record. It increases steadily, for in 1921 3900 votes were cast und at the 1923 polls 4909. The 6000 mark should he attained on the present occasion. Much interest was evinced at the last local body elections in the contest for the Mayoralty, wherein .Mr b'. J. Nathan heat the late* Mr S. It. Lancaster by a margin of 1073. But whereas on the fast occasion there were ,16 candidates for the Borough Council there are 19 going to tho poll to-morrow. In addition, there is added interest by virtue of the necessity for an election of representatives of the borough on the Palmerston North Hospital Board, Manawatu-Oroua Power Board, and of the district on the Wellington Harbour Board. The question' lias been asked whether, if an elector votes for less than nine of the candidates for the council, his vote is informal. The town clerk, to whom the question was referred stated in reply that an elector could vote for any number of candidates up to nine, but naturally must not exceed that total, otherwise his vote would be informal.