MUNICIPA ELECTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8669, 11 September 1891, Page 5

MUNICIPA ELECTIONS.

•Tub annual election of Councillors for the Wards which were to be contested—City North and City South—came off yesterday. A few cal)3 were employed in carrying ratepayers to the poll who could not be persuaded to exercise their votes unless carried to the booth. There was no excitement manifested, and it seemed a matter of indifference to the public who was returned. north ward. The candidates in this Ward were Mr. W. H. Smith (retiring member) and Mr. R. F. Luks. The place of polling was a shop in the Young Men's Christian Association Buildings. Mr. S. Brooking officiated as Returning Officer, and Mr. W. F. Brooking as poll clerk. Mr. A. W. Askew* was scrutineer for Mr. Luks, while through some bungling or neglect Mr. Smith's scrutineer was not provided with the necessary authority or in time to make the declaration ; he had consequently to retire. Mr. Smith's workers occupied the recess of the portico of the Young Men's Christian Association, consisting of Messrs. C. F. Cherry, Clemens, C. G. Hill, JO. .Baker. Mr. H. Gold water, for Mr. Luks, had a coffee-stall at the kerbstone. The contest throughout the day was carried on with great good feeling. The poll closcd punctually at six, and in due course the result was announced by Mr. Brooking as follows Luks, ."Mo ; Smith, 310; majority for Luks, 20. There ware five informal votes. The roll contained 518 voters, representing llf>l votes. Mr. Luks returned thanks for being elected, ami also thanked Mr. Smith and his supporters for the courteous treatment they had extended to him.

There was a good deal of interest displayed yesterday in the contest for the position of a member to represent the South Ward in the City Council, and the friends of the two candidates, Mr. li. Farrell and Mr Fricker, were busy from an early hour bringing up voters to the polling place, the Catholic Institute, Wellington-street. Mr. Robertsliaw, the deputy Returing Officer, had his work well up to time, and declared the result about half an hour after the poll had closed. It was : Robert Farrell, 377 ; Walter Fricker, 165. There are 323 voters on the roll representing 542 votes. Mr. Bonaracted as poll clerk ; Mr. James Jamieson as scrutineer for Mr. Farrell, and Mr. George Fricker for Mr. W. Fricker. Mr. Robert Glover, the well known electioneering agent, was actively working for Mr. Farrell, who had practically a walk over.

NEWMARKET. As four gentlemen had been nominated to fill the three vacancies in the Newmarket Borough Council, a poll was taken yesterday at the Newmarket Hall. Although there are 180 persons on the roll qualified to vote, only ♦53 votes were recorded, and of these one was informal. In declaring the poll, the Returning Officer, Major l'irie, referred to the lack of interest exhibited by the ratepayers, and said that he had a very "hard" day's work, as lie had so "little" to do. The result was as follows John M. Laxon, 01 ; John Lumpkin, 55; John Stone, 49; Robert 11. Holmes, A'.). The first three gentlemen were declared duly elected. ONEHUNGA. The annual election of councillors took place at Onehunga yesterday, between the hours of nine and six p.m. The candidates were Messrs. J. Hastie, F. Keehan, ,\V. Tapp, and W. Shaldrick, the former three being the retiring councillors. Very little interest was taken 111 the election, only 100 votes out of nearly 500 on the roll being polled. At half-past six the Returning Officer (Mr. J. G. Hutchison) declared the result of the poll as follows :-W. Tapp, 123 ;F. Keehan, 100; J. Hastie, 100; W. Shaldrick, 59; informal vote, 1. The first three were therefore declared elected. Mr. J. Brown acted as poll clerk.