Biggest Citizen Victory for 20 Years in Christchurch

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 124, 29 May 1944, Page 6

Biggest Citizen Victory for 20 Years in Christchurch

(Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, May 28. In the Christchurch municipal elections the Citizens’ Association candidates gained the most sweeping victory over their Labour opponents since Labour first became a force in local body politics 20 years ago. The sitting Mayor, Mr. E. H. Andrews, defeated ‘his predecessor in office, Mr. R. M. Macfarlane, M.P., by 8979 votes, a majority unequalled since .1927, and the preliminary count for the other issues gives the Citizens’ Association candidates 15 of the 16 seats on the City Council, eight of the ten city seats on the North Canterbury Hospital Board, three of the four city seats on tho Lyttelton Harbour Board, and all four of the Central District seats on both the North Canterbury Catchment Board and the YVaimakariri River Trust.

As in 1941 the polling in Christchurch was light, although the number of valid votes cast for the Mayoralty (36,119) has only twice been exceeded—39,Bo3 in 1935 when Hon. D. G. Sullivan beat Sir Hugh Acland by the narrow margin of 329 votes, and 36,375 in 1938 when Mr. Macfarlane defeated Dr. John Guthrie by 3121 votes. The number eligible to vote in Christchurch has increased by about 10,200 since 1941 when about 45.7 per cent, exercised their votes for the Mayoralty against an estimated 46.4 per cent! on Saturday. TIMARU MAYORALTY Hanan, A. E. S. (retiring Mayor) 5085 Foote, P. B. (Deputy Mayor) .. 3180 Kinsman, A. S 467 Geraldine: D. C. McKechnie, retiring Mayor, re-elected unopposed. Temuka: L. Robins elected unopposed. The retiring Mayor, Mr. W. H. McMillan, did not seek re-election. Waimate: W. F. Boland, retiring Mayor, returned unopposed.