AH-Citizen Control in Wellington

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

AH-Citizen Control in Wellington

WILL APPLETON’S BIG MAJORITY (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, May 28. Citizens’ candidates as in the previous election swept the board at the local body polls in Wellington. Mr. Will Appleton, the Citizens’ candidate for the Mayoralty beat the Labour candidate, Mr. James Roberts, by 29,586 votes to 20,218. Again no Labour candidates were elected to the Wellington City Council, the full Citizens’ ticket succeeding. Mrs. Knox Gilmer topped the poll for both City Council and Hospital Board. There was a difference of 2966 votes between tho lowest Citizens’ candidate and tho highest unsuccessful candidate who was Mr. C. H. Chapman, M.P. The power of tho Citizens’ ticket was strikingly illustrated in the case of Miss Amy Kano who as a Citizens’ candidate was second on the poll for the Hospital Board, but as an Independent for the City Council she fihished in third last place below all the Labour candidates and also below tho Communist. As in the previous election all the Citizens’ candidates were returned for the city seats on the Wellington Hospital and Harbour Boards. Citizens’ candidates won nearly all the offices for which the Lower Hutt City electors had to vote. The Citizens' Mayor (Mr. J. W. Andrews) was reelected. Labour, which previously had no representation on the Lower Hutt City Council, now has one representative who secured one of the three new seats. The mayoral voting was:— Andrews, J. W. (Citizens) .. .. 5336 Dowse, P. (Labour) 3813

Mr. J. B. Grey, an employee of the Hutt Valley Power Board who stood for the board as an Independent, was at the bottom of the poll. The Citizens’ candidate (Mr. H. Green) was elected Mayor of Petone. One Labour candidate was elected'to the Borough Council. Mr. Green secured 2251 votes and Mr. J. Cumming (Labour) 2035. The Labour Mayor (Mr. J. Blewman) was re-elected at Upper Hutt, but he has a Citizens’ Council. The figures were: Blewman 1278, C. A. Bendle (Citizens) 1083. CLEAN SWEEP FOR CITIZENS IN TARANAKI (Per Press Association.) NEW PLYMOUTH, May 28. Candidates nominated by the New Plymouth Labour Party for the Borough Council, New Plymouth Har , bour Board and Taranaki Hospital Board failed to gain a sinlgle set, the : Citizens* tickets being returned in all I cases. I The contest for the Mayoralty of Patea, regarded as a Labour stronghold, 1 had a surprise result, the sitting Mayor j (Mr. F. Ramsbottom) defeating the Labour candidate (Mr. A. H. Langs- | low) who contested the Patea seat at the general election, by 378 t 0.238. Party politics entered little into the elections in any other part of Taranaki. The Hawera Mayoralty resulted: L. H. Clapham (sitting Mayor) 1336, E. H. Linnell 412. The Mayors of the other Taranaki Boroughs were returned unopposed. WANGANUI MAYORALTY Hon. W. J. Rogers, M.L.C. (Lab.) 5647 Dr. G. J. Adams (Citizens) .. 4710. The control of the Wanganui City Council has passed from Labour to Citizens, eight Citizens and four Labour candidates having been elected. With a Labour Mayor who has a casting as well as a deliberate vote the Citizens can count on a majority of at least two on all contentious matters. In all the other local bodies control reI mains in the hands of anti-Labour members. A feature of the City Council election was the defeat of the DeputyMayor (Mr. J. J. Scott) who can be ranked next to Mr. Rogers and Mr. J. B. Cotterill as the most prominent Labour figure in the city. GISBORNE MAYORALTY Bull, N. H. (Citizens) *IOO Hall, J. H. (Labour) 2549 Tho elected members are:—Borough Council: A. L. Singer (Ind.) 3708, F. Tolerton (Citizens) 3333, G. D. Muirhead (Labour) 3247, K. Morse (Labour) 3201, H. H. de Costa (Citizens) 3139, G. J. Jeuue (Citizens) 3095, F. Wise (Citizens) 3085, M. J. Whito (Citizens) 2074, J. Quigley (Citizens) 2542. Power Board: F. R. Ball 3220 and r. Tolerton (Citizens) 3123, J. H. Hall 3008 and G. D. Muirhead (Labour) Hospital Board: Mrs. A. Beer 3817, J. H. Hall (Labour) 3195, F. U. Muirhead (Labour) 3068, Mrs. E. li. Scott (Labour) 3036, H. H. Barker (Citizens) Barbour Board: A. J. Nicol 3295, I. J. Quigley 3067, J. B. Broadhurst 2989", M. J. White (all Citizens) 2982.