LEVIN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 12 May 1938, Page 8

LEVIN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Mr. Goldsmith Wins Mayoral Fight. Three New Candidates Elected To Council. Cr. Keedwell Tops The Poll Cr. Parker Second. Yesterday saw probably the keenest local body election fight in the history of the Dominion. Record polls were recorded for city and borough elections, and in nearly every case Labour's'bid for control was heavily defeated. Christchurch was the only city to return a Labour Mayor, and one of the sensations of the election was the defeat of the sitting Labour Mayor of Dunedin (Rev. E. T. Cox) by a very large majority. Interest in Levin was keen and polling heavier than at the last previous contest, but it did not reach the heights many expected. The total number of electors voting was 1090 out of a roll of 1962. For the 1935 election the number on the roll was 1806, and of these 937 exercised their right to vote. In a fine contest characterised by a most friendly spirit, the sitting Mayor (Mr. P. W. Goldsmith) defeated his opponent (Mr. Herbert A. Phillips) by the very narrow majority of 21 votes. For the nine seats on the council seven old members and six new aspirants faced the election. Three of the new candidates—Messrs N. M. Thomson, F. H. Hudson, and H. S. Stevens —were elected, while Mr. F. E. Trim was defeated after having served on the council for the past 15 months. For several elections now Crs. F. E. Parker and C. S. Keedwell have fought for top places in the voting, and this honour has alternated between them with unfailing regularity. In 1935 Cr. Parker headed the list, but yesterday Cr. Keedwell emerged at the top of the poll. The main booth for votingwas at the bandroom, while a subsidiary booth was established in the Whakatane rooms. There was a fairly even flow of voters during the morning, but in the afternoon and evening the staff were kept very busy. From early in the evening quite a crowd commenced to gather in front of the Borough Chambers, and they received the results quietly. By means of a radio broadcast those present were able to follow the elections in other places of the Dominion. Following are the returns, last election figures being given also, while the sitting members in each case are indicated by a star:— THE MAYORAL CONTEST.

The total number of declaration votes, which have still to be added, is six. After the result of the mayoral contest had been announced, both the candidates addressed those who were present. Congratulations were exchanged and each called for cheers for the other.

WELLINGTON HARBOUR BOARD. As far as the Levin Borough was concerned, the voting for two member? on the Wellington Harbour Board to represent a large combined district was as follows : *W. L. Fitzherbert 618, *M. A. Eliott 600, M. Briggs 344, W. H. Oliver 319, and informal 70. The total number of votes in the ■combined district was : M. A. ELJOTT 9245 W. L. FITZHERBERT .... 9160 M. Briggs 5348 W. 11. Oliver 4459 COUNTY ELECTION. TOKOMARU RIDING RESULTS. It was only in the Tokomaru Riding of the Horowhenua County Council that an election was necessary, three nominations having been received for the two seats. Mr. L. H. Best was the only sitting member, Cr. J. R. Whyte having retired, and he was returned with Mr. J. H. P. Liggins. The votingwas as follows : LIGGINS, Joseph Hui Pahnerston 244 *BEST, Leslie Herbert 22S Aitchison, James Douglas ISO WELLINGTON MAYORALTY. HUGE ANTI-LABOUR VOTE. DUNEDIN LABOUR MAYOR BEATEN. WELLINGTON, Last Night. The Mayor of Wellington, Air. T. C. A. Hislop, the Citizens' Ticket nominee, secured a majority of 6088 votes over his Labour opponent, Mr. C. H. Chapman, M.P. At the last election Mr. Hislop defeated the Labour nominee, Mr. R. Semple, M.P., by 2496 votes. J Details: i Hislop (Citizens') 24,226 j Chapman (Labour) .... 18,138 '

Informal 296 Majority for Hislop .... 6.088 MAJORITY IK AUCKLAND OVER 10,000 Sir Ernest Davis 26,091 (Sitting Mayor; Citizens' cand.) J. Sayegh (Labour) .... 15,465 J. W. Payne : 579 CHRISTCHURCH. R. M. MaeFarlane (Labour) 18,69 S Dr. John Guthrie (Citizens') 17,418 The former Mayor, Mr. J. W. Beanland (Citizens') did not seek re-elction. DUNEDIN A. H. Allen (Independent) 17,599 E. T. Cox (Labour) .. .. .13,736 Majority for Allen .. 4,163 LARGEST POLL IN HISTORY. i DUNEDIN, This Day. The city council election was a great victory for the Citizens' Association, who secured nine of the twelve seats, plus one return. Amongst the defeated Labourites was Mark Silverstone, the chairman of the finance committee. The i former council has a proportionate representation of the contending parties on the Harbour Board, and the Hospital Board is almost similar. An unusual feature is that a new- ; comer, Mr. R. Walls (Labour), secured a seat on all three bodies. The poll was the largest in the history of municipal elections, 31,866 polling out of 44,287 eligible persons. IN 'OTHER CENTRES. OTAEX ; Mayoralty : C. F. Atmore 388, D. Richards 340, informal 13. Councillors : R, Young 463,, R. Mor-

tiboy 445, H. Fearnley 423, B. Knox 334, E. Cook 327, J. Ballinger 308 (elected), E. Graham 304,' 11. Eoera 285, L. Kilmister 262, M. Baker 262, J.. MeGill 219, 0. Nation 195. PEILDING T. L. Seddou 128 C T. F. Fitzgerald 560 WOODVILLE E. R. Johnston 239 F. D. Mackie 209 WANGANUI W. J. Rogers (Labour) .... 6851 G. H. Trott (Citizens) .... 3045 NEW PLYMOUTH E. R. C. Gilmour (sitting) .. 3,608" P. E. Stainton 1,444 MASTERTON T. Jordan (re-elected) .. 1,489^ L. J. Taylor 910 A. Rippon • • 192 HASTINGS G. A. Maddison 3279J. A. Miller 2293 Hastings Half-holiday Poll. Saturday 289" Thursday 258!). NAPIER T. W. Hereof k 2768: C. O. Morse (sitting) .... 2520' GISBORNE D. W. Coleman (sitting) .. 3532' N. 11. Bull 2770 ROTOR V7A T. Jackson (sitting) 1160 H. Danscy 790 Saturday hair-holiday v,-<n *■ irriii-.i r*r a niojority of 125. Wednesday was th"old holiday. LYTTELTON F. E. Sutton (sitting Mayor)' 1,108W. W. Toy 613: SUMNER J. E. Tail (sitting Mayor) .. 918 F. W. J. Murdoch 614NEW BRIGHTON E. L. Smith (sitting Mayor) 1638; E. A. M. Leaver 704GREYMOUTH F. A. Kitchingham .' 1,420A. H. McKane- ". . .... .. 1,029= P. Blanchfield 812 ROSS K. O. May 152 John Murdoch (sitting) .. 97 KAIAPOI Rev. W. JI. A.. Vickery (sitting Mayor) 4.26 E. G. Gray 314 ASHBURTON Dr. G. I. Miller 1165 W. H. Woods (sitting. Mayor) 560. J. T. Pratley (Labour) .... 259 The Labour candiates for the Mayor-" alty and council polled fewer votes than the other candidates who did not stan.i on a party tieket TIMARU W. G. Tweedy 324.3 G. IT. Andrews 2514 INVERCARGILL John Miller (sitting Mayor) 6184 Gordon J. Eeed 1544

£ o o u r-4 »o W 03 CO 6 >7 O * Goldsmith, Philip Wharton 382 155 537 T~\ Phillips, Herbert Alfred 377 139 516 Informal 13 6 19 BOROUGH COUNCIL . *Keedwell, Clarence Stanley 568 233 801 690 Frank Ernest 569 215 784 700 Thomson, Noel McNair 557 201 758 *Bowen, Harriet Emma 525 229 754 585 Hudson, Frederick Hainsworth 527 196 723 *France, George Carl 489 181 670 627 *Walker, Henry 424 169 593 607 Stevens, Herbert Stanley 397 161 558 *Harvey, Josiah 388 165 553 560 DEFEATED CANDIDATES. Clift, Frank Herman 380 158 538 *Trim, Francis Edgar 379 155 534 Jones, Howard James 402 126 528 Hirst, Ernest Edward 369 148 517 Informal 31 13 44 47