CITIZENS WIN BOTH LOCAL ELECTIONS

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27665, 23 May 1955, Page 10

CITIZENS WIN BOTH LOCAL ELECTIONS

Labour Gains Three Seats LIGHT POLL FOR TRANSPORT AND DRAINAGE BOARDS Citizens’ Association candidates retained majorities on both the Christchurch Transport Board and the Drainage Board ip a very light poll on Saturday. One Labour Party candidate, Mr J. Mathison, M.P. (Avon),, won a seat on the Transport Board, which since the previous election in November, 1951, has been a completely Citizens’ Association board. , The new Drainage Board will contain two more Labour members. In the Spreydon-Halswell district the sitting Citizens’ Association member, Mr W. B. Gray, was displaced by Mr R. H. Stillwell, and in Linwood, where there were two new candidates, the Labour candidate won. A new district, Waimairi, was added this year, and the state of the parties Will now be Citizens 10, Labour four, compared with Citizens 11, Labour two, on the last board. The poll was even lighter than it was three years ago. Only about 8 per cent, of the Drainage Board electors voted, and about 10 per cent, of the Transport Board electors. Few polling places were busy—some had no votes at all to count. Generally, those who voted were persons in their fifties and over, according to deputy-returning ofiicers. in one district party canvassers went to 600 houses and offered to take electors to polling places by car. They had six passengers.