LABOUR VICTORY

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 110, 5 November 1936, Page 10

LABOUR VICTORY

MR. READ ELECTED

THE BY-ELECTION

A SMALL POLL

By a majority of 839 votes over Mr. T. Forsyth, the citizens' candidate, Mr. John- Read, the Labour candidate for the'City'Council, was returned at the by-election yesterday, Mr. Bruce Mabin, the independent candidate, being well behind in third place. The poll was smaller than the one held for the byelection in June, 1933, by approximately 3600 votes, 20,304 electors out of the 69,853 on the municipal rolls exercising their right to vote. The results of the.election were:— Head, John 10,044 Forsyth, Thomas 9305 Mabin, Bruce Alfred .. 917 Majority for Read .. 839 Interest in the election was apparently nil'when the polling booths closed at 7 p.m., two reporters being in sole attendance at the results board in the main vestibule of the Town Hall at that hour. However, as the evening progressed interest grew and nine voters were in attendance when the first result was posted on the board. By the time the. fourth result, representing 32 booths, came. to hand and gave Mr. Read a lead of 951 votes a small crowd • was present and an interested murmur was heard when the results from forty ■booths reduced the lead to 377. A round ofI'applause greeted the final result, which was put up at 7.55 p;m., and Mr. Read was accorded an attentive hearing when he addressed the electors. CANDIDATE RETURNS THANKS. Mr. Read thanked the electors for electing.him to : the council, and said that as a member of the Labour Party he intended to follow the paths the representatives of the party had followed in the past. The Labour policy was a progressive one, and the Labour councillors would see that the workers for the, council, were, treated in the best manner .possible; at the same time they expected a fair return from the workers. The Labour members were there, to look after the interests of those who were giving their services to 1 the community.' That was the fundamental principle ;Upon which the party , was founded. ~. . ■ ...

' The most humorous thing he had heard for a long time, Mr. Read added, was the criticism of the .Labour Party for, aspiring, to secure a majority on the council. That had always been the objective of the Labour Party, and they had gone a step forward at the by-election. He believed they would secure ■ a majority at the next council election.

"We have had a very decent fight ■with"'no personalities," Mr. Read said. "I feel very pleased to be a representative of the Labour Party on the council."

Later Mr. Read commented that the result: of ■' the election had justified a contest.

Mr. Forsyth did not address the. electors present, but said later that he regretted'that the splitting of:the vote had lost the seat to those who were opposed to1 the intrusion of party politics in municipal affairs. He congratulated Mr. Read on his victory and Wished'him a successful term on the council.

' ' ' , DETAILS OF VOTING. T!(''.'.:Tn rif the voting are as follows: — '[..'.' E i i" I '.Mi.::':;u tv Seamen • 77 6 59 1 MeffiH St.,' Vogel■town' ...... ,6 2 56 3 Harcourt Building, Panama Street .. 257 20 110 3 Wellington Public Hospital ...;.:. -50 3 ; 54 2 Baptist Church, Lyall Bay .....v 71 A no 2 Khandallah ...... 196 S 7t 0 Kelburn Kiosk .. 271 9 38 1 Mornlngton .• Local Hall ■ 22 7 66 0 Standen ; Street, Karori ........ 16V 7 72 1 Melrose Hall 17 4 • 112 2 Polo Ground ■ Hall, ■Miramar , ..72 15 325 1 Ab«L Smith St, B/S 278 41 3-56 11 Metb,odlst School, Karori ........ 195 10 m 0 Kent Terrace Presosterlan Church . 200 li 2j6 2 103 U 3 3S 4 "^ S. t:. S. C. h.°! 1: SOS *r. MB 3 BethVie's Mart ... 754 59 213 2 Sl-.;. :: Andrew's . •Schoolroom .,.. 229 11 ba 1 Wiarf " >». ->" f Olenmore Street .. 7.{ tfc St. l Brooklyn Baptist .. 211 as 20b 2 St; Thomas' Hall, , Newtown ...... 361 31 '« 12 HaUlUl School.... 83 7 43 0 Ohiro Bay 1 « •;« " Worser Bay .. 11 . » . . i' » Xatwirra Methodist 26 j «.? 1 Houghton Bay ... B ■$''?,} „ Oriental Kiosk .... 65 <> 29 0 Miramar Tennis Parillon ..;.'.. 53 10 193 2 Hsnkey St., Bur- . •ley's Store .65 3 ,9 3 Silver Slipper Tearoom 8» 7 107 i Karpri Park Tea- „ , g Q Hataiul, "Be'atai".'■'422 ' 39 .181 1 Soseneath ■ -. " 4 ■ 60 . 0 X«wtown School .. fl3 20 H._. 1 Seatoun Kiosk .... 187 27, b ■ J Basin Keserve .... 89 1< Ihh - -j Oddfellows' Hall .. 439 42 ; i29 6 Trades Hall 131 39 910 10 Ansrllcan Church, ■ Kelburn 210 H oj « •Victoria Hall 158 2fc .-i-i4 j) Wadestown 200 3 H3 0 Plinimer's Steps ..289 2S • 110 - Xorthland Methodist 10n 10 }« 3 Ngaio 116 . r 14S 5 AH«ll St- M'SBlOn 48- ' S. 198 0 BonfeoMGym:":: 93 « KB 0 Town-Hall ....... 1,392 14a 1.010 10 Jlolesworth. Street , - Methodist 287 H 111 J Bt. Hilda's Hall, . ■ „ Island Bay. .... 2^4 11 3»» •' ' Kilblrnie R.S.A. .. _2« 3^ __406. _U ... ' : Totals , .... 9,203 . 9IT 10^044 138