MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9469, 13 September 1889, Page 5

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

The chief interest in the municipal elections yesterday centred in the contests for the two city wards of Karangahape and Ponsonby. In both those wards the retiring mambera were opposed with considerable vigour, but in both cases the old members beat the new candidates by substantial majorities. In Nowmarket there were eight candidates for three soats, two of the retiring members offering themselves for reelection. They were, however, rejected, and two gentlemen who had previously been members of the Council, and one untried man, were elected. For the borough of Devon port there were five candidates for three seats, and here, as usual, feeling ran somewhat high, but the result was a decided majority for two of the old members, and Mr. P. H. Mason filled the third place. There was little of interest in the eloctions for the Newton borough wards, and the results aro as recorded below. The following are the results of the various elections : —

PONSONBY WARD.

A good deal of interest was taken in this ward, in the contest between Mr. D. F. Evans, the retiring member, and Mr. Robert Tudehope, and the partisans of both gentlemen worked woll during the day. Cabs were flying about, and in the afternoon two of the electors had a round or two near the polling booth, which ended without clearing up the moot point as to whether Mr. Evans or Mr. Tuclehope was the best man. Three hundred votes were polled in the forenoon, and between 5 and (i o'clock a large number of working men recorded their votes. Mr. Brooking was returning officer for Ponsonby and Karangahape Wards, and travelled between the polling booths of each ward during the day supervising the elections. The substitute returning officer for Ponsonby was Mr. George Robertshaw ; poll clerk, Mr. W. F. Brooking. Scrutineer for Mr. Evans was Mr. J. S. Duke, and for Mr. Tudehopo, Mr. Wm. Hodge. A large crowd assembled at the Oddfellows' Hall to hear the result of the poll, which was announced at 7 o'clock as follows :— D. F. Evans... ... ... ... 409 Robert Tudehope ... ... ... 235 There were three informal votes. The result; was received with some cheering. Mr. Evans returned thanks to the electors for the honour they had done him. He would endeavour to do his duty to every part of the district. Tho election had been fought oat fairly and squarely, and in good foeling, although things might have been said by friends on either' side which would have been better left unsaid. He begged to move a vote of thanks to the Returning Officer. Mr. Tudehope who was received with cheers, also returned thanks. He was proud of the position in which they had put him, for although defeated, a large number of ratepayers had voluntarily worked for him. At some other time he would again appeal to them. He was not interested in England-street, but would be prepared to do his duty to the whole district. The election had been contested between himself and Mr. Evans fairly and in good feeling, though some of their respective supporters might have exceeded discretion. KARANGAHAPE WARD. In this ward the poll was taken at the store at tho comer of Upper Pitt and Cross streets, Newton. Mr. N. G. Archer was the substitute Returning Officer. Messrs. J. en with and J. Patterson were the candidates, and the scrutineers wero :—For Mr. Patterson, Mr. H. Mcllhone ; for Mr. Trenwith, Mr. J. Smith. Both parties worked vigorously during the day, but the public did not manifest much interest in the proceedings. Shortly after lialf-past 0 Mr. S. Brooking, supervising Returning Officer, declared the result of the poll to be : — J. Trenwith ... ... ... 258 J. Patterson ... ... ... 193 There were six informal votes. Mr. Brooking formally declared Mr. Trenmith elected. NEWTON BOROUGH. The contest in the Richmond ward was between Mr. Thomas Faulder, the retiring councillor, and Mr. Richard Warnock. Both candidates and their friends worked vigorously, and a number of cabs were employed. Mr. Currie (town clerk) officiated as returning officer. The scrutineer for Mr. Faulder was .Mr. 11. W. Francis, and for Mr. Warnock, Mr. W. A. Crombie acted. The voting went on slowly in the forenoon, but between 5 and 6 p.m., the ratepayers came up. One excited ratepayer reached the door of the polling-royui ab 0.3 only to find it locked in nis face, and Constoblo O'Brien on guard. All his entreaties and expostulations and references to the family chronometer were in vain, and he loft in high dudgeon, believing that his vote would have turned the scale. At 0.20 Mr. Currie announced the result of the poll as follows :— Richard Warnock 99 Thos. Faulder ... ... ... 61 There was one informal vote. Tho result was received with cheers. Mr. Warnock thanked the ratepayers present for putting him at tho head of the poll. He concluded by moving a vote of thanks to the Returning Officer. Mr. Fauldor was present, but did not address the electors. NEWMARKET. The election of three members to fill the vacancies caused by the retirement through effluxion of time of Messrs. Buck, Maxwell, and Spooner, in the Borough Council of Newmarket, was held yesterday at the Public Hall. Major Pirie was Returning Officer. There were eight candidates for the three vacancies, including two of the retiring candidates, Messrs. Buck and Maxwell. The proceedings were very quiet throughout, although after the close of the poll a considerable number assembled to hear the result. The ballot was made up shortly before 7 o'clock, and the Returning Officer declared the result as follow : — William Edgerley ... ... ... 71 Nathaniel Randell ... ... ... 68 Wm. Charles Rose ... ... ... 02 George Heron ... 58 Alfred Howes Eastwood 33 Charles Sutton ... .... ... 33 Sydney Wm. Buck 28 Arthur Augustas Maxwell ... 24 Tho Returning Officer stated that there was only one informal vote. The total number of burgesses on the roll was 155, of whom 87 had voted, recording 378 votes. Mr. Edgerley, who was received with cheers, thanked the burgesses for the proud position in which they hod placed him at the head of the poll, and said he was only sorry that those gentlemen who had spoken of keeping him out of the Council did not light. He was sorry they had not brought their men forward so as to make some sort of a contest. He proposed a hearty vote of thanks to the Returning Officer, (Cheers.) Mr. Randell also returned thanks for what was to him quite an unexpected "result, and promised to watch carefully over the proceedings of the Council in the interests of the ratepayers. He took it that the whole thing was going on too easily. (Question.) It was right that there should be opposition in the Council, so that the ratepayers' interests might be fully looked after. He returned hearty thanks to those who supported him. Mr. Rose thanked thorn for his election, and said that he would do his duty to the ratepayers independently of everybody, more esjiecially to his own end of the borough. (Cheers and laughter.) He believed in opposition, but he must say that in the past the Council had done its best for the ratepayers. He returned his hearty thanks to those ratepayers who had voted for him and those who had voted against him. He had great pleasure in seconding the vote of thanks to the Returning Officer. Major Pirie briefly thanked the burgesses and the proceedings terminated. DEVONPORT. The election of the three councillors for this borough caused but little excitement, though a good number of votes were recorded, and the majority of these being polled late in the afternoon, caused considerable uncertainty as to the probable result. There were five candidates, Messrs. R. Cameron, W. H. Brown (the old members), P. H. Mason, W. Avenell and W. H. Fenton. The result of the poll was declared about a quarter to seven p.m. by the Returning Officer, Mr. S. Y. Collins, bub there were very few waiting to hear the figures. They read : — * R. CamerOn 217 W. H. Brown ... ... 208 P. E. Mason 198 W. Avenell ... ... ... ... 144 W. H. Fen ton ... 126 Mr. Collins, accordingly, declared the three first-named to be duly elected.

ONEHUNGA.

At the Onehunga Borough Council-rooms yesterday the annual election took place to fill the three vacancies in the Council caused by the retirement of Messrs, J. J. Shaldrick, E. Burden, and William Shaldrick. During the day the greatest interest was taken in the contest—carriages, vehicles, and buggies being brought into requisition to bring voters to tne poll. After the poll was closed, hundreds of ratepayers anxiously awaited the declaration of the result. At 7.30 p.m. the announcement was made by the Returning Officer as follows :— J. Muir Barr 203 E. Burden 192 W. Bray 181 D. Hill 177 J. J. Shaldrick 169 J. Lakin ... ... 154 The result was received with cheers, as two of the "progress" party were returned, while one of the opposition gained a seat.