REV. L. B. NEALE ELECTED.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20025, 5 September 1930, Page 13

REV. L. B. NEALE ELECTED.

: THE ONLY CANDIDATE, •VACANCY ON CITY COUNCIL. Since there was no.other nomination 'the Returning Officer (Mr J. S. Neville) at. noon yesterday- declared the /BjeT. ■* Leslie Bourneman Neale (Independent) elected to/the seat on : the Christchnrch •-City Coundl mafde vacant by the^eath of Cr.'J. A. Flesher. A notice to this effect was immediately posted/ before the MunicipaliOffices; . At the suggestion of' the Citizens' ( Association Sir Neale was dominated as (an Independent in an effort to'avoid, a T third' by-election 'during-one session of the Council and to save the City,the •cost of 'the :poll, about' £6OO. _ The) Association -. agreed not to , nominate a .candidate provided there was' no, other 'nomination; and the North Canterbury Labour Representation Committedfin? ally decided not in any: case, to.' con- . test the seat. " . . ' '

.Nominations were to-.close- at' noon, yesterday .. in preparation . for' a- by- - election ion 'SSept&nbef' 15th.- '• Already * some preparatory work- had'beenvpnfc Ui haind by'tiie'Returiiing- Officer, such \ as the arrangement, of polling booths and the purging of the electorrf roll, . which closed .last, Monday.. Tlflswork was: unavoidable. and' wQl' measa 'Only % cost totie GSiyi v SIS. Nevifie once-notified that he, had {y thern&xtf meetihe of. &e ? September 15th., he AoW., M to make 'and r ngn ? the fuired by the ct: 'The consfitutiph^'of.the *Cdfltneil - Will "noto*be -as 1 follows r ""V ■ Citizens'- Association—CSrst*; Andrews, M.-'JE.-- tyons>'Ji- -i v land, C.'E. -Jones, ,A:-A.'>j^l^bwn>; C v ' Annie I.'Fraer,' S. Parian#!; p liamson, and"A. ( W. Beav&ik { . Labour-~The ' Mayor' gKv '/>1 Archer), ' Crs D. G. - '*• Elizabeth R. ■ .MoCombs, pnd T.'H. Butterfield, -* >- ~*fWi. - ; Independent I^boitr-> :^i?A. v • - strong. Grs.arid L. B. Neale. "*vv , • Grouping Cr. Armstrong witti' I«Sbdur v this gives the state of the partieß*s: Citizens* Association 9, Labour* 6] ' dependent .2. \ During Cr. Flesher's illness, and foil- s lowing the election, of'Cr-. . Lachlan, a. reofgipisation. ws3 made \oT; f," the Standing*Cown»itffcg$ s <jf \ til. At present the iEl'ectricity I'fJoin- * mittee is the only one' a vacancy. When SJrTjfeafc t£kes his ' . seat there will probably "be a" "ftju#ier - reorganisation: V*' t An unopposed election' has 'ji^'been. { unusual in ,as recently'as October -15th,n928f.wlien' there were - two nominees for vacancy caused -by "'the. of 1 * Cr. G. R. 'H. -Wiasoiv,, . withdrew, giving Mr R M.' seat unopposed. , - 4 ... " j; ■« ' « • The Part. * '^r;. "In the first ptac&, .the. niy| nomination was to avoid *» > tion," said Mr to »' reporter' oft. Ihk Pebss last evening." "In/tfie n® • place, I 'think' thatj uie time -is 'pro?.toitious for the' Church to assume' a-; definite lead in community problems 1 and to take, a < more active'part ih sultative assemblies. • I' do not; , . that- because a ''man 'is' a '"minister" otthe Gospel he must necessarily -lender exclusive service to one denomi nation. H v He _ mentioned his support for as - municipal crsche, free ambnlanoe.aeiv. vice, beauti£cation of the City, and, tho establishment of a municipal medi-; cal officer. Otherwise his particula|f4n terests were in unemployment J. and.,"' hours of labour, and in the-extent oi;' mnnicipal intervention and confrd. " "I hope to serve the Citv to ,th' ; - b«t of my ability," ended ' 'lt is pleasant to feel that sudb con • ndence has been, placed in ;me that' no • other nomination has been made." . No Local Body Experience. - .. Mr Neale has been minister of tho St. Albanfe Methodist Church.'for nearly feeven years. His father, Mr W..* H Neale, who arrived in 1843, was on> of the original settlers in New Zealand and was Deputy-Mayor of Dunedin "for > some years. Mr Neale himself not served on , any local tbody, uor has he linked himself with any, political os .civic party. He was. an Independent ' candidate for.'the North Canterbury ' Hospital Board at the last election, bu 1 was not returned. Some years ago be ■ established a depot in St. Albans for -x the relief of distress caused by unemployment, and?, this he ,has persoittllv conducted each winter. > He was a chap '» lain at the" Great War for four-years.!;; serving at. G-allipoli, Palestine, 'and France, until he was wounded at - Passohendaele. He is a Fellow of the' f Royal? Greographical Society.

The Biver Trust. Nominations close at noon to-day foi the vacancy on the Waimakariri River Trust. Mr C. E. Cross (Independent) and Professor R. Speight (Citweps' 4lb ; - sociation) have both been nominated «lr|ady, &o that an election is'certain. Since this by-election was to he tlxeld . oh September 15th' the same date-as that for the Council,-, it v»as hoped to,make dual use of'some bf the poflitig booths in the City. This: will how'lie impossible, and the -River Trust trill hi»re to arrange for -30, booths inJthe {, Central Ward (the City together with Ricoarton).