TRAMWAY BOARD ELECTIONS.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12533, 30 June 1906, Page 9

TRAMWAY BOARD ELECTIONS.

_ ♦ MR*STAPLES RETURNED. A CURIOUSMISTAKE. Tho vagaries of deputy-returning officers frequently add a lot of varioty to local elections, in spite of the oaro taken by tho Legislature to frame the most elaborate provisions for the guidance of the officials, and a curious situation has arisen in connection with tbe return of a member to represent Riccarton, Spreydon and Halswell on tho Tramway Board. On Wednesday night, when the returns canio in, tho last to be added to the total was the polling at tho .Addington booth. By that time the contest plainly lay between Mr Staples and Mr Sykes, and the former, confident that he would poll heavily at this booth, felt that his victory was fairly safe. To'his surprise he found that, according to tho supplied returns, ho had only receivod eleven votes to" scventy-fivo polled by the other candidate, and although tho result was comprehensible to hinf, he conclude*!*, that he had been beaton ia his owif;. stronghold. ijtf It has now been discovered that the figures were reversed, and that tho 75 votes should have been credited to. Mr Staples, and tho 11 to Mr Sykes, which entirely alters the position, giving tho former a majority of o votes. Tho official declaration of tho result is being made by advertisement to-day, tho returning officer, Mr Hulme, declaring Mr Staples duly elected. How the mistake arose is not very clear, for the deputy-returning officer at Addington had no doubt in his own mind about the relative results of the poll, but ho managed to get them re-' vereed <]a paper. It is unfortunate ■ that such a mistake should have occurred, for Mr Sykes had already entered on his duties as a member of the ' Board, and had paid an official visit with the other mem bens of tho new Board to Sockburn on Thursday. THE NEW MEMBER. Mr Staples is a well-known figure in local politics, and has been in Christchurch since 1864. Ho has • been on the Riccarton Road Board for tho last six pr seven years, and since 1902 has boon chairman of that body. Mr Staples has also been associated with , the work of the Drainage and Domain I Boards for tho past four years. He was one of those who took an interest lin the movement to municipalise tho tramways in its early -.stages, advocatI ing that tho servico should bo ownetl and run by the public instead of being left to tho management of a private company, as in Auckland. This is not Mr Staples's first attempt to get returned to tho Tramway Board. Ho contested the same seat against Mr Waymouth three and a half years ago, and was defeated by 23 votes. About six months later ho contested the Riccarton and Sockburn seat .against Mr Dougall, and was again defeated.