TRAMWAY BOARD ELECTIONS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18242, 28 November 1924, Page 8

TRAMWAY BOARD ELECTIONS.

' S ♦ CITIZENS* ASSOCIATION SUCCESSFUL. NO LABOUR CANDIDATES ELECTED. ! If anything, weather conditions yesterdav were rather too favourable for the triennial election of members to the Christehurch Tramway Board. At one period of tho day many feared that the heat would interfere with the voting, especially the voting by the women electors, and the somewhat quiet appearance outside the booths conveyed the idea that the polling would be light. Things brightened up during the period between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., when climatic conditions were cooler and, as far as can be estimated, the votiug was a little heavier than in 1921. In that year Mr Geo. T. Booth, who headed the poll for the centre sub-district, scored 3060 votes; he also headed yesterday's poll with a total of 3102 votes. In 1021 the total number of votes recorded in the Central and Linwood subrdistricts (which now constitute the Centre sub-district) was 23,293; the total recorded yesterday was 26,025. The outstanding feature of yesterday's poll was the defeat of all tlic Labour candidates and the return,_ in the Central sub-district, of all the Citizens' Association's candidates. The only alteration in the personnel of the Board is the election, for the Central sub-district, of Mr E. W. White, in place of Mr J. W. Beanlapd, who did not seek re-election, and the election of Mr John Wood for the RiccartonFendalton sub-district, in place of Mr S. A. Staples, who did not seek reelection.

Roturns from tho different _ polUng booths came to hand with considerable promptitude, and at one period it looked as if the estimate of the Returning Officer (Mr Frank Thompson) that the final figures would be available at 9 p.m. would be realised. Owing to the deputy in cliargo at the booth in the Foresters' Hall, Oxford terrace, being seized with hllucss the figures from that booth were not reeoived till 10 p.jn. A friirly largo crowd collected optsido the Tramway Board's Office awaiting the announcement of the results, snd about nine o'clock the results then available were announced, after which tho crowd melted away. At 10 p.m., when the Returning Officer went to announce the complete results, only ono person was present.

THE NEW BOARD. The new Board consists of the following, a star in front of a name indicating that the new member was a member of the old Board:— Central. "Geo. T. Booth. :: J. A. Fleshcr. ®I-L Pearce. -A. S. Taylor. E. W. White, Jticearton-Fendalton. Johu Wood. Spreydon-Addington. : D. Sykes. HUls-Sumner. ;: J, Barr. Avon-lfew Brighton. --'W J. Walter, CENTRAL SUB-DISTRICT. (Five Members.) Tho contest in the Central sub-district resulted in the return of the Citizens' Association's five candidates, Mr J, McCombs, M.P. (Labour), being sixth on the list, 202 votes less than Mr E. W. White (Citizens). Following is the result:— Geo. T. Booth (Citizens) j . 3192 H. Pearce (Citizens) .. .. 3140 A. S. Taylor (Citizens) .. 3101 J. A. Flesher (Citizens) .. 3068 E. W. White (Citizens) •. 2507 J. McCombs (Labour) .v. 2305 J". K. Archer (Labour) .. 2244 C. L. Carr (Labour) .. 1951 G. T. Owen (Labour) .. 1712 C, Renu (Labour) .. 1682 C. E. Cross (Independent) 1123

RICCARTON-FENDALTON. (One Member,) ilr John Wood (Independent), who was previously a member of the Board but was defeated at thq 1921 election for the Central sub-district, defeated Mr H. G. Livingstone, the Citizens' Association's candidate, almost by a two to one majority. The voting was as follows: John Wood (Independent) .. 1343 H. G. Livingstone (Citizens) .. 688 Majority for Wood .. 055 SPBEYDON-ADDINGTON. (One Member.) This contest resulted in the return of the sitting member, Mr D. Sykes (Independent), by a substantial majority over the Labour candidate, Mr F. R. Cooke. The result was:— D. Sykeß (Independent) .. 761 F. E. Cooke (Labour) .. •. 546 Majority for Sykes . • 215 AVON-NEW BRIGHTON. (One Member.) W. J. Walter (Citizens) was returned unopposed. HILLS-SUMNER. (One Member.) J. Barr (Independent) was returned unopposed. The only candidate who addressed the waiting crowd in front of the Tramway Board's office v.as Mr C. E. Cross, who briefly thanked those who had voted for him.