EXCITING SCHOOL COMMITTEE ELECTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3204, 2 June 1909, Page 7

EXCITING SCHOOL COMMITTEE ELECTION.

By Telegraph—Press Association. HAWERA, June 1. There was extraordinary excitement last night over the election of the School Committee for the Hawera District High School. Originally party strife was provoked by the friends of Mr P. O'Dea, circularising the district with a view to securing the return of School Committees favourable to O'Dea's election as a member of the Wanganui Education Board. These circulars were announced by Mr E. Dixon, the present member of the Board, as being a Roman Catholic movement on behalf of O'Dea. Immediately a semi-sect-arian fight began, and at the School Committee election three weeks ago, O'Dea was elected. That election was upset, on account of O'Dea not having the residential qualifications. Last night a fresh election was held, j\nd was preceded by unusually vigurous canvassing, the whole affair approximating to an electoral campaign, and by far exceeding in interest any civic contest ever held in Hawera. Cabs were engaged by what may be called O'Dea's party, and these were rattling voters to the pull until midnight. The old committee was largely identified with the church and Nolicense party, and seven out of nine old committeemen were raturned by a fairly substantial majority. The excitement lasted until nearly two o'clock this morning.