BOROUGH BY-ELECTION

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 113, 11 April 1940, Page 5

BOROUGH BY-ELECTION

MR H. J. DEWE SUCCESSFUL. HEAVY POLL RECORDED. The poll taken yesterday to fill the vacant seat on the Feilding Borough Council caused by the death of Or. A. J. Humphreys resulted in a convincing victory for Mr H. J Dewe, who polled 678 votes out of a total of 1064 votes recorded. The figures were:—•• Herbert James Dewe ■■■ 678 Thomas Featherstone Fitz Gerald 317 Samuel McDowall ... 67 Informal ... 2 Considerable interest was taken in the by-election, and it is stated that the poll was the heaviest yet recorded in a by-election in Feilding. Throughout the day there was a steady stream of voters proceeding to the Borough Council Chambers, where the polling booth was situated, and the busiest time was experienced between two and three o’clock in the afternoon. After the declaration of the result, Mr Dewe, who will take his seat tonight at the Borough Council meeting, ottered his congratulations to the unsuccessful candidates and paid a .tribute to the fine spirit in which the campaign had been fought. He was pleased that he had found himself at the top of the poll, but stated that he was sire that Messrs Fitz Gerald and McDowall would offer themselves again in the future. Mr Dewe thanked the voters for the confidence shown in him and trusted that his actions would prove that the confidence had not been misplaced. He would do his best in the interests of the townspeople. Mr Fitz Gerald, after calling for cheers for Mr Dewe, said that the successful candidate had the speaker’s earnest congratulations. It was the second time that he (Mr Fitz Gerald) had stood on the borough office steps as a defeated candidate, but he was still capable of taking a defeat. He thanked all the helpers who had worked in his interests, and said he was satisfied that his candidature had created some measure of interest. He would stand again in the future, and perhaps he would meet with success the third time. Mr McDowall offered his congraulations to Mr Dewe on the honour conferred upon him by the burgesses. He stated that it was the first time he had sought municipal honours and he was satisfied with the result of the poll. He thanked those who had favoured him with their votes and wished Mr Dewe luck in his new office as a councillor. . • Cheers were given for Messrs I 1 itzGerald and McDowall at the call of Mr Dewe.