COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2751, 15 December 1894, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTION.

EA.UKAPUKA RIDING. The election of one member for the Raukapuka Riding of the Geraldine County took place on Thursdry and resulted in the return of Mr Alexander Kelman by a majority of 101 rotelf- The results at the various polling booths ajre as follows: A.Kelman. M.C. Orbell. Geraldine ... ... 114 39 Woodbury 13 13; Hilton “* ... 7 r 1 Bolfield 17 A' Total ... 181 80 1 informal vote at Geraldine. There was a small gathering at the Geraldine Road Board Office at 7.1 q p.m. when Mr C. E. rfherratt announced the ••mult, • M Kalman said ; Gentlemen,-—I thank you top ya<tf for putting nio at the top - $ ~ t _ will always do my very best for ypti as . r as I have the ability to. Any tiifco you *OD mo doing anything that is wrong lot mo know. Your votes are my votes ; I am going in to represent the people. I am not too proud to go round and see you and hoar what you have to say. I am going to do my very best for you ( al}. 1 have stuck to your rontf boards a,ad will

stick by them in the future. I think that this is the very thing that baa put me in to-day,.together with the stand Mr Orbell took on this question—which 1. might call a false step on his, part. I think the road boards have done good work in the past and will do good work in the future. Besides, the Government will probably bring in a Bill next year dealing with local bodies, and it would be foolish to abolish the road boards till we see what the Government intend to do. Again I thank you gentlemen : yon have made me a very proud man to-day* (Applause). Mr Orbell said : Gentlemen, I think you have done the correct thing in returning Mr Kelman. He has been in the district for many years—over 20 years I think—and he knows every road and bridge in the place. He may therefore be better able to look after your interest than I am. 1 have been told today that my not being returned was owing to the stand that I took with regard to the road boards. I am, gentlemen* prepared to maintain that stand. I ask you, if you had a property that at present took Jour managers to conduct and you found out that it could be done with only one man, would you not act upon your judgment and work the property with one man? It has been said that by abolishing. the road. boards we would only save £IOO. I say, gentlemen, that I will meet any man you like to mention op the platform and defy him to prove that we.cannot save more than £IOO. I will prove to him that yon will save more than £SOO, and will have the work done equally as well; Mr Flatman mentioned ,at a meeting the other d»y that he could only see that £IOO would be saved ; that is why I refertothia matter. You will have your road boards abolished in time; there u no doubt about it. Had it been done by’your own efforts the probability 'is that yon oonld hays made your own terms, but as it is now the Government will make terms for yon. I thank those gentlemen who came here to-day to vote for me, and I have much pleasure in proposing a hearty vote of thanks to the returning officer. Mr , Kelman seconded the vote . thanks and the gathering dispersed. ' TEMUKA RIDING. Scarcely any interest was takeninthe 1 election of a member to represent the Temuka riding in the oonneu. The few who interested themselves in the matter looked upon Mr Murray’s return ■as certain, believing that in his own particular district, he would poll practically 1 all the votes, while town board residents 1 would split their s between the two looal representatives. That this was a correct view of. the ease is evinced by the polling, which was as follows W. G. J. M. , Aspinall. Murray. Soannell. 1 Temuka ... 38 21 28 Waitohi ... 6 6 4 Winchester ... 0 18 0 Orari ... 2 41 3 Rangitata ... 0 29 2 Total ... 46 114 37 Two informal votes were recorded^