A GOOD MANY CHANGES

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 100, 2 May 1929, Page 14

A GOOD MANY CHANGES

MR. TROUP'S BIG MAJORITY

Yesterday's beautiful weather led, as was anticipated, to fairly heavy voting compared with that of former elections, but. even so, only 23,415 of the 46,328 persons whose names are on the rolls recorded their, votes. Two years ago the votes cast numbered 22,764. Mr. G. A. Troup was re-elected-Mayor by the very substantial majority of 5373 voles over those polled by Mr. Walter TSash. There are a number of changes in the personnel of the City Council. Mr. T. C. A. Hislop again heads the poll, and Mr. W. J. Gaudin is again in second place. To many the defeat of Mr. H. D. Bennett is a great surprise, due without much doubt to the fact that he was not on an official ticket. He is returned as a member of the Harbour Board, displacing Mr. G. Mitchell. Mr. Bennett was one of the Civic League nominees for the Harbour Board. Though Labour gained an additional seat, Mr. C. H. Chapman gaining sixth place, and Mr. M'Keen moved up one place as compared with the 1927 placings, Mr. Semple went down from well up on the 1927 placing to fourteenth yesterday, the remaining Labour candidates being well down, below defeated Civic League nominees and the Independent and Wellington North Ratepayers ticket candidates, with the exception of Messrs. Duncan and Thew, who stood as straight out independents, without any ticket backing. There are no strictly new councillors, for Messrs. Wright, Chapman, Forsylh, and Hildreth have all had council experience. Though a fair number of declaration votes have still to be taken into account, it is unlikely that there will be any change in the personnel of the council. The large number of ballot papers now classed as informal may, upon rescrutiny, alter the votes credited to some of the candidates. The ratepayers have expressed their views on the raising of money for tramway and library purposes in quite a definite manner, But the warning given by the Mayor and other speakers that the Kelburn viaduct had to be replaced by a safe structure, plus the warning that if the loan was not authorised the work would be done out of revenue—which would inevitably mean an increase in rates—resulted in the carrying of that proposal. Electors, householders, and ratepayers, by a considerable majority, agreed with the council view that Sunday charges were a fair thing at the Newtown Zoo. The sanction of the citizens 1 has to be confirmed by Parliament, which some time ago replied, on being approached by the council, that legal sanction would be given to the making of Sunday charges provided the citizens signified their willingness to pay. An outstanding feature in the suburban borough results is the defeat of Labour at Petone, and another is the return of Citizens' ticket candidates at Lower Hutt.