Grey River Argus THURSDAY, May 2, 1929. MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Grey River Argus, 2 May 1929, Page 4

Grey River Argus THURSDAY, May 2, 1929. MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

An outstanding feature yesterday of the municipal elections throughout the country appears

to have been that sitting Mayors and members of the local bodies generally were able to secure their return- This has been almost the rule on the West Coast, where, however, there has not been any issue of an.expiting nature, with the exception, perhaps, of that of the weekly half holiday. Here, likewise, there has been no change in the prevailing order of things, the closest vote recorded on the issue being that at Hokitika, where the Saturday votaries ran the mid-week supporters fairly close in the final analysis. All the Mayors have been re-eleeted on the West Coast, and for the Councils the old members got the heaviest support. Cr J. B. Kent is to be complimented upon heading the Greymouth Borough Council poll, a reward for sustained service in the interests of the ratepayers which he will doubtless appreciate duly, and as Deputy Mayor he should prove a

worthy successor to ex-Councillor Jas. O’Brien, M.P. In the Hospital Board election, the public of this municipality have paid a notable compliment to a lady in returning Mrs O’Brien at the head of the poll yesterday, although, in view of the fact that all of her colleagues on the old Board have also been re-elected, it is evident that the vote was in every instance an endorsement of the past work performed by the members of the Board. The accession of Mr W. H. Parfitt to the Power Board, in view of his past services to the community in public life is a matter of surprise to nobody, and his record formerly in the Mayoral chair should be a guarantee of his working successfully in the public interest in his new sphere.' The new Borough Councillors should all prove an acquisition, whilst the defeated

candidates have in no cases been disgraced, but have the satisfaction of knowing that their offer to serve their fellow citizens has had the effect of reviving public interest in local government. The Westport results show that reelections have there been also the rule, and likewise those at Hokitika and Kumara- Rather a unique record is that of the Mayor of Hokitika, Mr G. A. Perry, who has held the office continuously almost since pre-war days. Mr A. B. Spiers, Mayor of Kumara, who met a stout opponent in Mr Peever, has succeeded in retaining office, though he did not fare so well in his contest with Mr W. Evenden for the Kufmara seat on the West land Hospital Board. Mr Harkness also found a worthy opponent in Mr Scandrett for the Mayoralty of Westport, the contest being a fairly even one. Further afield, it is satisfactory to find, despite the sustained hostility of the whole city press over a lengthy period, that the LabourMayor of Christchurch has again been the victor, although one effect of the press campaign would appear ,to be the loss of a seat or two by Labour on the City Council. Another City Mayoralty retained by Labour is that of Wanganui, where Mr Rodgers had a substantial majority; and the Labour Mayor of Gisborne, Mr Coleman, was once more returned by a good majority. At Wellington, however, the sitting Mayor, Mr Troup, was returned by a large majority over Mr Nash, his Labour opponent, who, indeed, was at a disadvantage in that he has not previously contested elections in the city, and become so well known to the electors as the successful candidate. The other Labour men, and among them Mr Robert Semple, appear all t'O have generally polled heavily in the Wellington contests, but the Auckland results were not last night available when the telegraph office closed, beyond that for the Mayoralty, in which the Labourite, Mr T. Bloodworth, ran a good second to the sitting Mayor, Mr G. Baildon, and defeated such well known Aucklanders as Mr Vaile. The sitting Mayor of' Nelson is another to secure re-el-eetion, defeating \an , ex-Mayor who held office for several termsThe results, on the whole, therefore, g;o to indicate, as already remarked, that the electors have retained their confidence in their representatives of the preceding two years, a faet which should induce those representatives to exert themselves in the ensuing term to the utmost in the public interests.