ELECTRICITY LOAN.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15767, 7 December 1916, Page 6

ELECTRICITY LOAN.

CARRIED BY LARGE MAJORITY

A SMALL POLL

The poll on the City Council's proposal to raise £00,000 to extend the, electrical installation was taken yesterday, and resulted in tho proposal being carried, 1371 voting for it, and 667 against it. Tho poll was a small one, as only 2050 voters out of an estimated total of 11,000 recorded their votes. Tho following table gives the result, according to -wards: — "Ward. For. Against. Central ... 466 143 Sydenham ... 320 215 St. Albans ... 374 158 Lin wood ... 206 151 Totals ... 1371 6G7 There -were 12 informal votes. Following are the detailed results at each booth: — CENTRAL WARD. For. Against Art Gallery .. .. ..199 47 Orango Hall .. .. ..61 22 Foresters' Hall .. ..53 22 Oddfellows' Hall, St. Asaph et. 53 9 Hibernian Hall .. ..30 19 Oddfellows' Hall. Montreal et. 9 7 Otle/s Showrooms .. ..25 6 . Methodist School, Richmond.. 36 11 LINWOOD WARD. Public Library ..95 7G Baptist School .. 40 21 Salvation Army Barracks ..20 14 Leyden street .. ..31 21 Comer Grafton and' Charles etrcc-ts .. /.. ..20 19 ST. ALBANS WARD. Clissold street .. <• .. 49 19 Methodist School, Rugby street 90 37 Ecroyd's Shed .. ..34 20 Public Library .. ..35 6 Methodist School, Madras st. 81 32 Innts's Storo .. .. 50 2G Stanley's Store .. ..35 18 SYDENHAM WARD. O'Connell's Shop .. 3G 25 Waltham Library .. 30 24 Football Club Rooms .. 69 2G Public Library .. .. 66 40 Peek's Storo .. 47 74 Methodist School, Selwyn et. 67 17 Church School, -Church road 30 9 Totals .. 1371 667. THE MAYOR'S REMARKS, Tho result was announced shortly before 3 o'clock, a - small crowd having awaited tho announcement in front of the principal booth at the Art Gallery. Tho Mayor (Mr H. Holland), in a brief speech, said that ho had felt as much interested in the poll as if it had been a mayoral election, and he had been a candidate. He regretted that so few citizens had shown interest in their own concern, but one explanation was. probably, that a large number of people had electricity installed, and therefore had no personal interest hi the poll. That only 2038 bat of about 11,000 had recorded their vote's did not redound to the credit of the citizens, nor was it calculated to encourage tho Council to launch out into municipal trading. However, the Council had cause for congratulation in that the citizens had endorsed tho Council's action, and he .regarded the vote as a vote of confidence in the Council. (Hear, hear.) He claimed that those who did not record their votc 6 had voted for tho proposal. If they had any serious fault to find, they would have taken all kind of care to have recorded their votes. Whilst regretting that more enthusiasm was not aroused in the poll, he thought the Council had every reason to be pleased with the result of the poll. There was onlv ono place in the whole of the citv where there had been a majority against tho loan. That majority was prcttv pronounced, and he did not wish V) "say anything about it just then :-but it was very suggestive. He expressed the Council's thanks to the Tramwav Board for giving free space on the tram-cars to advertise the poll, and also to the newspapers for their able assistance in bringing the poll before the public. On tho Mayor's motion. a vote of thanks was accorded to the substitute Returning Officer (Mr A. Freeman) and his staff, who. Mr Holland remarked, had got in the results very promptlv.'