MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1917, Page 5

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

NEW PLYMOUTH. A MODERATE POLL. Very little interest wan evinced in the biennial elections which took place : at New Plym6uth yesterday, only about 1200 recording their votes, out of about 3500 electors on the roll- or roughly one third of the burgesses. This apathy,on the part of the residents of New Plymonth is surprising at the present,'when the Borough Council, the Hospital Board and the Harbor Board will have some important problems to tackle, but possibly it was due to tho fact that there was no questions of policy being fought out this time, and also to the fact that there was no Mayoral election. Two years ago some 2100 electors, or about 50 per cent, of the burgesses, recorded their votes. On that occasion, however, there was a Mayoral election, and also the burning question of the Saturday or Thursday half-holiday to decide. There were no elections for the Borough Council nor for the Harbor Board. The arrangements for the polling were again very complete. In the morning, voting was very slack, but towards evening matters became brisker. Shortly after 8 o'clock, when it was expected that the results would be there "was a fair gathering of burgesses present outside the old Drill Hall, which was the central booth. Owing, however, to the fact that it is now necessary by Statute to check the votes before announcing the result, it was close on 10 o'clock before the returning officer was able to announce the final result of the poll for tho Borough Council, though from time to time he gave progress result and also announced the result* of the other elections. The results were received very quietly, there being no speeches. The results of the various elections was as follows: — BOROUGH COUNCIL ,»

F. J. Hill (-.;.....VvjvviT.T... fl<M| Jas. Clarke -..w...»0.•••-... 988 G. W. Brown w.».. .j flB2 W. A. Collia '..v.-vioi-.v... 001 E. Griffiths .....vas>»••■ M 4 J. W. Hayden MO' R. J. De*are 074 W. F. Short ..>„.,.. «<W K. H. Tribe .-p...... 818 A. E. Watkins ;......-.>.... 626 Informal : •-. If HARBOR BOARD. C. F. Bellringer -.-.-.-. v.-.-.-.- AO3 J.. S. Connett v.-..*v..isi>j>i " 01 Jas McLeod >-.-.-.« 618 Informal ..........v.....a; 7 HOSPITAL BOARD. Mrs E. Doekrill ru-.^.-o -.-c? 038 E. Gilmonr ...v..v. ~.-.*-*>,.: 830 C. M. Lepper

W. P. Nicoll ri-.-rtTEfnviT* 609 A. E. Watkins. ;i.v.W.'...".; 322 Informal ....'.....»........ 33

Two years ago the result was:— F. C. J. Bellringer, 1440, A. E. Syke« 1321, Mrs. Dockrijl 12D7 (elected);' Messrs G. W. Browne SBO, and A E Watkins 36G.

STBATFOitD. Stratford, April 2C. •Tho greatest interest was taken by burgesses in the meetings addressed on -Tuesday by the Mayor and Mr. McMillan. Each speaker received a very attentive hearing. To-day both candidates' not off tho mark at an early hour, and throughout the day all conditions qf conveyances werein requisition to bring voters to tho poll. In the afternoon the booth was , thronged by eager supporters of candidates, and the colors of/the rival parties were freely worn. A splendid feature of the contest was the good feeling prevailing, there being an entire absence of bitterness. The candidates after seats at the council table also infused some energy! into their work, the consequence being that it was generally conceded to be one of the most interesting contests in the history of the borougli. The polling booths closed at 7 o'clock, and from then onwards till the voting was declared by the town clerk eager crowds thronged the streets, discussing the possibilities and probabilities of candidates. Tho result .of the Mayoralty voting was:-^ J.' W. McMillan F'■;...-..;. 407 J. W. Boon •...-.-.-.-.-.• 400

Tlie election of councillors resulted (the first nine being returned):'— ■

A. Coleman -. .. .. .w.-.-.-.-»... 831 J. Masters ....j.,;r.-..-.iT... 802 S. B. Hunter C. Jackson jv.;..-..-.-..■.. 555 D. J. Malone p-Q>«-*R»• ■ 453 T. Lawson ~.-.-.- n. -rr.-r.-i.. 471 W. McDonald .-. * wr.v.. 471 C. B. Walsh ....Tj-xi.H.s--.. 403 J. H. Thompson •...r.-.->.;..i 452 Geo Smith "Q*BJW. 3()2 ,7. H. Ford «wgj» : >'' 380 W. n.'ll. Young w.'.-.-.-p...- 370 n. Wilson •v.T.-riv 350 ELTHAM. «1' '

ElthaTn, April S£. , Tlie contest between Mayor Dive and ex-Mayor Crump to-day worked up considerable interest. Those who hitnerti could not be bothered to take any notice of borough affairs or officials were very much alive to-day, and the knots of excited burgesses made the election something akin to a Parliamentary contest. The chief came of sustained interest lay in the fact that both candidates had addressed electors from the public platform, and another reason for so many being out in the streets was secured'by the persistent manner in which the candidates' cars rolled round and motored the dilatory ones to the booths. The voting was not expected to reach the totals of some of the previous contests, as the rolls had been closely scanned, and many who had the privilege of voting neglected the opportunity of seeing their names were on the roll. A light rain fell early in the afternoon, but this did not dampen the ardor of the workers, The weather. afterwards improved, and towards evoning the voting considerably increased. The result of the 1 Mayoralty was:— T. B. Crump •. B. Dive f.v.ii.u; 263 Majority for-Crump -.-.-. ;t?.-s *5 > ' MJLEWOOD. ; '? • The poll for the councillors Was as follows Ctha first six beiae tinted) t-

A, Caldwell ......... ise23H . MR ' A,B. GamUn Jj* •. P 4 Parkm *rri\TtTTnanr*,, Mft K., Fawaittf iffli J.: Sutherland l r «!ri£<9nSSi4 W? R., m F.i Spurdle wimssmxmm SB , T., Koletoßi ■'jfWJA/eaggm. <t§ HAWEHA^ I ■■ | The following' shows tip nhlti gf {ss ' Meotion for tho council!— ' E. Morrissey, 466. E. C. Hayton, 378; D.. J. Goodwin, 3711 L. A. Bono, 369. J. W. Harding, 367* ■ 'E. 8.. Bates 88fc T. C. Goraley 335* C. Gumming 3211 , J. G. Osborne 320; •■•-'. . The following- "wer» unsufccgßsfMf** Messrs. A. Held, S. Jjoddaxb, Ttirifrti ington, R. L. Hutchans, A* 4, Joy, Each of the counolllow ranspA. thanks.

OTHEB CENTBEB* BLENHEBt ' By Telegrapb.-Presa 'Assoefetlm. . Blenhefm, Last Nljrafe '■ The Mayoralty election resuMuM' - follows: Messrs. Corry (retiring Mayor); 78* V Carr 465. CHRISTOHUECn. Christchurch, LflstiNigMu ' For the Mayoralty of CnttstetHm* Mr. H. Holland, the retiring Mayor, ta< dieted a crushing defeat upon Mr. J< ' McCombs, M.P., who stood as as - JfttU' conscriptionist. A very ifa&vy pmjte* suited as follows:—Holland JW7If Mck Combs, fi3Bl; majority for Holfas& ftftL ~ It will be very late before there mIV be any indication of the cltj l , COUpjtU) lors result. • • ,ij fil^P*^! For tho Mayoralty of WoobtSß Mfc; , McGregor Wright (conicriptlOßJlt), w one time n prominent citizen of ton, defeated Mr. C. Hill (anti-oojWCripV tionist and labor) by 689 to 303. - * The Lvttelton Mayoralty election *••«' aulted: W. T. Lester 091, Poster 40i; , Mr. J. J. Dougall was defeated for ft; seat on the Lyttelton Harbor £6»rdY WANGANUL Vf t Wanganui, Last Ni|tt- " The Mayoral election resulted as it\i\ lows:—Mackay, 2142; Veitch, 1283j ' ' i . ,' 1 -i INVEROARenii. * 1 ■ Invcrcargill, Last Night*"' The Mayoral election resulted^-rStett 1 / 2275, McFarlane (retiring Mayor) 1868.! NELSON, ' ' ; ..' i ' Nelson, Last NlgM.~*. The Mayoral election resulted:.W, Wj: ■' Snodgraßs 1184, W. Lock 1102. " . '''