THE COUNCIL ELECTION

Marlborough Express, Volume XLV, Issue 98, 27 April 1911, Page 5

THE COUNCIL ELECTION

After a long wait the returning officer came forward at a quarter to eleven o'clock and announced the following result of the election of Councillors:— • Birch, Frederick 762 Braddock, William 435 Carr, William ' 764 Corry, John Joseph 802 Curry, Andrew 571 Eccles, Edmund Henry 696 Girling, William James ... 822 Griffiths, Graham 647 Homes, Lauritz 611 Iremonger, Jonathan David 107 Loudon, William Robert ... 592 Morrison, Frank 422 Parker, Edward Stone ... 669 Patchett, Reuben 331 Pike, Willie Davis 499 Smith, Frederick William ... 537 Wiffen, Arthur 751 Informal ... ... 22 The following were declared elected, in their order according to the number of votes received: •W. J. Girling J. J. Corry W. Carr P. Birch A. Wiffen E. H. Eccles G. Griffiths E. S. Parker L. Homes Mr Girling was the first to return thanks to the ratepayers. He said he was proud to think that his work during his term of office had been such as to warrant the ratepayers in again placing him at the head of the poll. It was impossible for any man to please both sides; in fact he would

have to be a champion rail-sitter who could do so, and there were a few in Blenheim. He considered that a really good Council had been elected", and it was well that this was so. During the next few months there would be engineering preliminaries in connection with the water and drainage, and there would be a lot of work to do. He would do his best in the interests of the town, and he hoped that when his term was up he would still retain their confidence. He concluded amid cheers by again'thanking those who had placed him at the top of the poll. Mr Corry, in thanking the public for placing him near the top of the poll for the Council and at the head of the Harbor Board poll, said that he had tried on many previous occasions, but had had to put lip with the "also started" place. He could not claim, as Councillor Girling' had, a record to place before them, but he would claim and promise' to do his best to help on the water and drainage scheme and the town, and he hoped they would not be ashamed of his efforts. (Applause). Mr Morrison said He was one of the "also started" division, but he thanked all those who had supported him. He was sorry he was not on the winning side, as it had been his intention, if elected, to devote most of his energy in the Council to the outlying parts of the Borough. He did not think the water and drainage would be much good unless the stagnant pools on the outskirts of the town were attended to. These places were in a large measure responsible for a number of the epidemics which swept over the town from time to time. He hoped that on another occasion he would be on the winning side.

- Mr Homes said he was pleased with the result, and he promised to do his best for the town. He thanked all those who had supported him. Mr Carr said he had done well, and hd thanked those who supported him. He had two good mates who would help him to watch the interests octf Uhe ratepayers. Mr Birch was very thankful to those who had voted for his return. *He recognised that during the next two years there would be a great deal of uphill work in connection with the water and sewerage scheme. In regard to the pumping question, he said that the cost of'pumping at the present time was ■ so cheap that it would take a very good gravitation scheme to get within measurable distance of it. He promised that if it were found that £65,000 was not sufficient to complete the scheme he would "be in favor of obtaining the sanction of the ratepayers to raise more to complete .it. Mr Parker thanked the ratepayers for having placed him on the Council. He would work for the general welfare of the Borough. He also thanked them in, behalf of >Mr Wiffen, who was away in Christchurch. Mr Griffiths, in returning thanks, said that during his term of office he would do his utmost for the advancement of the town.

Mr Loudon thanked those who had supported him, stating that he had not canvassed for a single vote. He thought they had a good Council t but would have liked to have been on it.

The highest mumber of votes recorded was 1367 for the Mayoral candidates out of 1993 on the roll. The next highest was 1354 for Councillors, while 1164 were recorded for the candidates for the Harbor Board.