TRANSPORT BOARD POLL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20867, 8 May 1931, Page 13

TRANSPORT BOARD POLL.

ADDITIONAL RETURNS. ALTERATION IN NO. 2 AREA. CONFUSION OVER VOTES. The official count of the votes recorded in the Auckland Transport Board election on Wednesday has not yet been made, but three additional returns from polling places in the No. 2 constituency, which came to hand yesterday, have altered the aggregate of the votes received by each of the five candidates for the two scats on the board. The latest count in this constituency, which comprises tho boroughs of Mount Eden, Mount Albert and Newmarket, gives tho following totals: — E. 1-1. Potter », 4,225 W. H. Nagle . „ .. 3,933 li. E. Rhodes «■ < 3,856 J H. Langley * s« 2,596 Gr. P. T. Sherry ... 2,317 Tho official count, which is being conducted by the City Council special election staff on behalf of the Transport Board, may bo complied by the end of the present week. The checking of the rolls will bo a much more troublesome task than is tho case with the municipal rolls. No special roll for use in this election was prepared, nor. is one called for under the .Auckland Transport Board Act, the rolls of the local bodies included in the three constituencies into which the Transport Board's district is divjded being used. An elector is entitled to only one vote in his own right, so that if he is, an elector in more than one of the constituencies he must choose the area in which he will exercise his vote. This requirement was not generally known qn election day, and returning officers came into touch with a number of electors who desired to vote a second time on the transport poll. Thero may have been others who did exercise votes in trwo separate constituencies, and for this reason fthe scrutiny of the rolls will be made with particular care.

CONGESTION AT BOOTHS. HABITS OF THE PUBLIC. EXTRA FACILITIES IGNORED. Habits deeply-ingrained are difficult to change, as the city returning officer, Mr. P. F. Notley, found in his arrangement of booths in connection with Wednesday's municipal and allied elections. Criticism has been expressed at the fact that at some of the larger booths there were not sufficient screens behind which eloctors might retire to mark their ballot-papers. The result was that at the busy hours many voters Jiad to wait in order to secure the desired privacy, or had to mark their papers unsheltered from the inquisitive gaze. In order to guard against such a contingency, Mr. Notley made special arrangements to ensure that, at the busier centres, voters might divide forces. For instance, two other polling places were established in proximity to the Leys Institute, but, whereas the institute was crowded, there was very poor patronage at the neighbouring booths. The reason is believed to have been that Ponsonby electors have become so used to voting at tho institute that they went tjiere as a matter of course. Congestion was also caused at the Chamber of Commerce, in spite of the fact that a booth was established this year in British Chambers, in the heart of the city, and much more accessible to the average business man. However, the booth at British Chambers handled a very disappointing aggregate of votes.

BREACH OF TRADITION. ' MAYORALTY OF DUNEDIN. RE-ELECTION OF RETIRING MAYOR 0 - The re-election of Mr. R. S. Black to the Mayoralty of Dunedin for a second term constitutes a breach of a municipal tradition, peculiar to Dunedin, that the office should be a "rolling" one, so that each of the 12 .councillors may be encouraged to aspire to it in turn. "It is certain that a tradition exists in this city that, unless in wholly exceptional circumstances, the mayoral office shall not be held by any individual for two successive terms," said the Otago Daily Times recently. "It is to be observed, for example, that in the 42 years between 1873 and 1915, when the mayoral election was held annually, there was only one occasion upon which a Mayor was paid the compliment of being, re-elected for a second term of office. Mr. Fish enjoved this experience in 1894. Prior to tins Mr. .Walter had held the office for two successive • years. But this was not by the will of the ratepayers who at that time composed the constituency. Mr. Walter was defeated at the poll in 1879, when he sought re-election, but he successfully petitioned against the return of Mr. Fish on the ground that the latter held a contract under the City Council and, as the result of this petition, was declared to be elected. "Mr. Clark was the first Mayor elected under the law which extended the term of office to two years, and, the war being in progress at the time, ho was re-elected without opposition for a second term. Six years later Mr. Tapley was elected, also without opposition, for a second term in order that he might hold office during the exhibition, of which he was one of the promoters. These, however, are the only instances since 1915 in which the occupant of the mayoral chair was elected for a second term." The unsuccessful aspirant on the present occasion, Mr. W. A. Scott, has been a member of tho council for 19 years.

SOUTHERN TOWNS. ADDITIONAL RESULTS. Results of elections in southern towns are given in the. following Press Association messages:— Taihape.—Mayoralty: L. B. H. De Lautour, 352; E. Loader, 268; G. F. Kelly, 105. The sitting Mayor, J. P. Aldridge, did not seek re-election. Council; H. L. Butler, E. Loader, F. White, C. E. Darvill, A. McDonald, G. A. Wilsher, H. Christensen. Feilding.—Mayoralty: C. E. Taylor was re-elected unopposed. Council: _E. Fair, A. C. McCorkindale, T. Collins, D. Piyde, G. Kilvington, J. Corpe, S. D. Pearcc, D. C. Cullinane. Woodville.—Mayoralty; J. Elder, 275; H. P. Home (retiring Mayor), 247. Pahiatua.— Mayoralty: <T. D. Wilson (re-elected), 349; J. D. C. Crewe, 278. Ashburton.— Mayoralty: W. H. Woods, 1214; R. Kerr (sitting), 545. Council: ]R Kerr was returned with the old council. Hospital Board: Dr. J. R. Wells (re-elected), borough representative. Gore— Mayoralty: A. T. Newman, 1037; D. L. Poppehvell (sitting), 816.^ Mataura. —Mayoralty: C. D. McConnell (sitting), 316; J. H. Clark, 257. Waimate. —Mayoralty: G. Dash (reelected), 623; F. T. Wallace, 512. The Thursday half-holiday was retained by a large majority. Gisborne.. —Mayoralty: D. vv. Coleman (re-elected), 2558; J. Blair, 2002.