AND HARBOR BOARD MEMBERS.

YESTERDAY'S HEAVY POLLING

MR PENNY RE-ELECTED MAYOR

As stated in yesterday's issue of The Express, there was great-interest manifested in the local elections; in fact, perhaps never before in the history of Blenheim has there been the interest takenin the election of Mayor and Councillors that was demonstrated yesterday- From the time the polling-booths opened until .they closed the opposing forces worked diligently for their "tickets," and. it can be said-that no vote on eitherside was overlooked. As showing the keen foresight of some of the "progressives" and their supporters, about six o'clock in the evening an Express representative asked for an expression of opinion as to what'the probable result of the Mayoral contest would be, and was informed by Mr Graham Griffiths that Mr Garr would have about 640 votes and Mr Penny a few over 700. _It will be said that no vote on either side was was a very good guess, and shows that Mr Griffiths gauged the .result very accurately. After the polling-booths Closed crowds commenced to gather round the Rotunda, and those inevitable parasites, the -Blenheim "hoodlums, were very much in evidence. They jostled here and there amongst the crowd, and generally made themselves objectionable, a number of ladies standing :in the crowd being pushed about.

THE MAYORAL ELECTION. Just after eight o'clock the Returning Officer, Mr D. P. Sinclair, appeared on the Rotunda, and this was the signal for a rush to get as close' to the structure as possible. As soon as he could be heard Mr Sinclair anmounced the result of the poll for the election of Mayor for the Borough of Blenheim, which was as follows:—

Carr, William 635 Penny, Edward Henry 713 Informal... 19 "I therefore declare Mr Benny duly (elected Mayor for the ensuing year." This announcement was followed by loud cheers and calls for Mr Penny. Mr Penny came forward, and was greeted with loud cheering and apjDlause. When the plaudits had subsided Mr Penny thanked the ratepayers for -the "honor they had again conferred upon him. He had recognised during the last fortnight that the opponents of the late loan proposal had been at work;, and that a strenuous fight' was raging. He did not blame them in the least, as'fhey had a right to their opinion, and they battled well for it. He was pleased that the majority was just sufficient. He did not want, and'he did not claim a very large majority. The forces had' been fairly equally divided, and he was one of those who believed in a strong opposition. He was very proud of the position in which they had placed him, and he thanked them for having returned him once again. He congratulated his opponent upon the excellent number or votes he had received. Tn conclusion Mr Penny expressed the hope that a' good strong Council would be elected, in order that the best interests of the ratepayers and the Borough might he served. He called for cheers for Mr Carr,1 which were given, and' were followed by cheers for the winning candidate. Mr Carr then came forward at the request of a number of his supporters. He thanked those who had voted for him. He had only come out at the last moment, and he had polled fairly well. There had been an immense and well-organised opposition for him to face, but he had the help of his friends, and he was fairly well satisfied, with the result. His chief reason for coming out was to "warm the jackets" of those who had said that he must be kept off the Council, and he had done tha^ and he was satisfied. {Cheers).