Mr. Baildon Enters Third Term

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 652, 2 May 1929, Page 6

Mr. Baildon Enters Third Term

REDUCED MAJORITY FOR CITY MA YORALTY Mr. Bloodworth Polls Well for Second Place RETUKXEI) at the head of the poll with 7,578 votes, Mr. George Baildon now enters upon his third term of office as Mayor of the city of A uc-kland. He goes back with a majority of 890 over the Labour candidate, Mr. Thomas Bloodw orth, who was second. Mr. H. E. Vaile is third and 3,546 votes behind the Labour nominee. At the bottom of the poll stands Mr. W. H. Murray who secured 847 fewer votes than the candidate who was placed third. Mr. Bloodworth also took second position to Mr. Baildon at the 1927 election. The four aspirants polled as follows: — G. BAILDON .. .. .. .. .. .. .. T. BLOODWORTH 6,688 H. E. VAILE 5,142 W. H MURRAY 4,295 Majority for Baildon .. .. .. .. .. 890 Informal votes totalled 283. Official figures for the 1927 contest were: Baildon, 8,796 votes; Bloodworth, 7,194; J. A. Warnock, 3,256; H. D. Schmidt, 1,703. Majority for Baildon, 1,602. Immediately the 48 booths closed at 7 p.m., returning officers set about the unusually onerous task of counting. Headquarters was at the Town Hall, where the chief returning officer for Auckland, Mr. P. F. Notley, was in telephonic communication with his widely scattered staff. The first returns available were the results of voting at the Public Works camp, Purewa, which came to hand at 7.10. Here Mr. Bloodworth had a majority of 13 over Mr. Baildon. Thereafter Mr. Notley and his central staff were besieged every few minutes by detailed results of the mayoral fight. Mr. Bloodworth held the top placing for the first eight returns. Then came the first large issue—the result from the Chamber of Commerce booth, which reversed the fortunes of the first two. This was to foreshadow the final outcome. Mr. Baildon maintained his lead, sometimes increasing his advantage, sometimes dropping back. At 8 o’clock 37 booths had completed the mayoral returns and at this stage Mr. Baildon’s majoritv was 885. Mr. Vaile was third with 3,644 votes and Mr. Murray brought up the rear with 2,468. But the largest booths were yet to come. The Town Hall —the principal polling place—boomed Mr. Baildon at the same time heavily swelling the total count. At Leys Institute Mr. Baildon lost ground, both Mr. Bloodworth and Mr. Vaile polling higher. By 8.30 the conclusion was beyond doubt. “Six returns to come cannot affect the result,” was the information given to scores of inquirers who phoned The Sun office. Epiphany Hall, Karangahape Road, and Green Bay, Avondale, were the two last returns.