Mr D. O. Digby again Mayor of Ashburton

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33664, 14 October 1974, Page 14

Mr D. O. Digby again Mayor of Ashburton

Mr D. O. Digby was re-elected Mayor of Ashburton with an increased majority in the local-body elections on Saturday. He gained 2943 voles, 1112 ahead of Mr 1. A. Lane, the only other candidate, whom Mr Digby had defeated for the Mayoralty in 1971, bv 514 votes.

All nine candidates seeking re-election to the Borough Council were returned, and three new councillors were elected. One of the new councillors, Mr K. Anstiss, easily topped the poll with 3708 votes. ■ Mr Anstiss was nearly 300 ■ahead of the next candidate, la sitting councillor and deputy Mayor. Mr L. R. McINally, who topped the poll in ! 1971'. The other new councillors are Messrs E. G. Catherwood and A. T. I. Keepa. Although four women were lamong the 18 candidates ■ seeking election to the council, only the sitting councilI lor, Mrs B. J. Oakley, was; I returned. An election was necessary \ in the Mount Somers, South Rakaia, and Wakanui ridings of the Ashburton County Council. Sitting councillors retained their seats in each case, but there will be a new |county councillor, Mr I. H. IThomson, for the South Rakaia riding. He polled the second highest, behind the present county chairman (Mr| S. J. Letham) to take the seat vacated by Mr D. J. R. Harrison, who did not seek re-election. SPECIAL VOTES The recording of special votes will begin today, and the official results of the elections are expected to be announced about mid-week. Saturday's results are proI visional, 657 special votes having I still to be taken into consideration in the Ashburton Borough 'election. Voting in the borough

- represented a poll of 63.19 per cent, virtually the same as the I * pre\ ious elections. I Mr Anstiss is the proprietor of a bookshop in Ashburton, and I is chairman of the Ashburton Intermediate School Committee. » Mr Catherwood is the proprietor of a nursery business, and Mr ' Keepa is a Maori Warden for the Ashburton district who was jlllsted in his nomination toi 1 council as a sundry tradesman. The new county councillor, Mr • i Thomson, is a farmer at Dromore. ) The three Ashburton County candidates seeking re-election to ’’the Ashburton Hospital Board ■jwere returned. The other • county seat was taken by Mrs i IM. .1, Coughlan. The board’s chairman iMr IL G. Sinclair) gained the highest poll for the i four borough seats. The other [sitting candidate seeking reelection. Mr J. A. Denlev. was returned. The two new hoard i members are Dr II E. Green /and Mrs B .1. Oakley, who is' also the only woman borough ' councillor. In tile Ashburton Licensing Trust election 'combined borough and county districtsi, a sitting member. Mrs 1). B. Moon, recorded a high poll of 3973, she and Mr L. A. Todd, another sitting member, being returned. J Mr J. Srhoy, however, lost his seat on the board. His place ; will be taken by Mr R. J. Con- , way who gained the secondhighest vote. Mr Conway is an Ashburton travel agent, and isj a foundation member and former chairman of the Ash- , burton Toastmasters’ Club. The three sitting members on the Ashburton Electric Power I Board, Messrs L. K. McNally. , M. Bell, and T. A Lane, were re-elected. In the following provisional results, sitting members’ names are marked by an asterisk: ASHBURTON BOROUGH j Mayoralty 1 ’D. () Digbs 2943 (elected': j T. A. Lane 1813. Council <l2 seats) > W. n An-ti- :;7'lB. -I. li M< - -INally 3392. -E. R. Cochrane 3297. i ’I. J. Nicolson 3216. *A. L. Meli Intosh 3186, *E. J. von Tunzel-

r mann 3167, *M. G. Wall 3153, : ’Mrs B. J Oakle> 3022. "R D Brvant 2952. E. G. Cathervo.Ki f 2876, ’D. S. McKenzie 2523, A T. 1 I. Keepa 2460 <elected l 1 G. G. Wagenaar 2249. Mrs M X Meha 2232. Mrs .1 A Campbell ' 2181. V. W. Wilson 2119. Mrs ( >' M. Freeman 1956. R. B. ( and\ r 1493. r ASHBURTON COUNTY Mount Somers riding (Two seats) 1 ’R. E. Buick 300, *\. S. Murdoch 262 H. D. Pattison 233, D 1 X. | Stevens 185. SOUTH RAKAIA RIDING j (Two seat.' 1 s "S. J. Letham 336, 1 IL i Thomson 235 (elected' » A. J. McArthur 194. WAKANUI RIDING (One seati i *J. Brand 212 (elected , J. D George 95. ' ASHBURTON HOSPITAL BOARD Ashburton borough (Four seats) r ’R. G. Sinclair 3970, Dr H. I 1 Green 3274. Mrs B. J. Oaklc ' 2737. -J. A. Denlev 2461 (elected Airs J. M. Harris m», Mi-- S '■O. Ree 1551, V. W. Wilson 1305. Ashburton county (Four seats) •G. S. Marshall 1678. ’G. \ Rountree 1563, Mrs M. J. Cough i lan 1411, -Mrs N. O. Currie 1388 i I (elected >. I Mrs N. M. Murdoch 1272, Mrs R. M. Smith 892. ASHBURTON LICENSING TRUST Borough and County •Mrs D B. Moon 3973. R I. (Conway 3061, -L. A. Todd 3002 (elected i. R. E. Buick 2332. B. M Dai id son 2260. -A. J. Srhoy 1994. 11. ■ E. Cook 1315. ASHBURTON ELECTRIC POWER BOARD Ashburton Borough (Three seats) •L. R. McNallv 3139 *J M • Bell 2686, -T. A. Lane 2718 . ielectedi. H. L. Wood 2276. H. E. Cook ■2199.