GORE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 1036, 22 May 1902, Page 2

GORE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

NORTH WARD ELECTION. The election of a councillor to (ill the North Ward vacancy caused by the election of Councillor D. MeFarlane as Mayor, took place yesterday, and was the occasion of a largo amount of interest throughout the town. Both candidates (Messrs Ballinline and Bowler) wero confident of victory, and their supporters were particularly active all day in bringing voters to the poll, which was held at the Temperance Hall. In spite of the miserable weather the number of votes recorded was unusually large for a by-elec-tion, and had the day been tine probably another fifty or sixty votC3 would have been recorded. The result was announced at tho Town Hall, by Mr Brett, at half-past seven, in the presence of a largo crowd, as follows : .1. Ballintine .. ..111! E. R. Bowler .. .. lKli Informal .. .. 1 Majority for E. R. Bowler .. 70 '

The announcemet was met with prolonged cheering.

Mr Bowler thanked the voters very sincerely for the honor they hud done him in placing him in the responsible position of councillor. He was an apprentice in such matters, and that being his fust attempt in seeking municipal honors, his election was all the more filtering to him. He had no municipal past. He had a clean slate, and it only remained for him to strive to ensure that the writing on that slate during his year of ollice was a credit to himself and of benefit to the ratepayers at large. He would strive to work in the best interests of North Ward and the whole Borough. He had been asked on being nominated to declare a definite policy, but he bad preferred a free hand to a certain extent, for the present at least. His policy would be first to understand the finances of the borough and then to go in for what ho considered right in the interests of all. He had only good words for his opponent. They had fought u friendly contest, and he was sure no ill-feeling would remain. He thanked his committee heartily for the work that had been done in his behalf and he also thanked all who had supported his candidature.—(Applause). Mr Ballintine (who jocularly remarked to the successful candidate: "Give us a wug of your bones ") said although detailed hj« whs not disgraced. It was a great undertaking to face a gentleman of Mr Bowler's pretensions and those who had assisted him. It was something he should not have done. He thanked those who had voted for him and especially the ladies who had come out in such unpleasant weather. The people of North Ward had made their choice, and he hoped Mr Bowler would.be able to do as much for the town as he (the speaker) had done. Mr Bowler had his best wishes, and he believed all were pleased at the result. He (the speaker) was pleased at it, as it would relieve him of a great deal of work and worry.— (Applause.) The proceedings closed with a vote of thanks to the returning oilicer.