LABOUR LOSES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23968, 19 May 1941, Page 6

LABOUR LOSES

MUNICIPAL POLLS

CHANGES IN CITIES

AUCKLAND MAYORALTY

MR. ALLUM RETURNED

Political Labour received 0110 of (ho hoariest, defeats on record at the hands of local Citizens' Associations in the triennial municipal elections held on Saturday. Tt failed to win the Mayoralty of any of the four chief cities and lost ground in all of them. In Auckland the Citizens' Association won the Mayoralty, returning Mr. J. A. C. Alhini. and gained 20 out of 21 seats on the City Council, reducing Labour's representation from seven to one. The Mayor of Wellington. Mr. T. C. A. Hislop. defeated Mr. R. McKoen, MP.. hv nearly 0000 votes, and bis supporters won all to City Council seats, of which Labour had formerly held six. Labour failed to gain a single seat o-i the Wellington Hospital Board or the Harbour Hoard. Chrlstchurch Majority Lost The Mayoralty of Christchurch was lost by Labour," Mr. E. H. Andrews, I the Citizens' nominee, having a comfortable win against Mr. E. Parlane. Labour also forfeited its majority on the City Council and had its representation on public utility bodies reduced. Dr. I), (i. McMillan. M l'., was unsuccessful in hi- attempt to win the Dunedin Mayoralty from the sitting Mayor, Mr. A. H. Allen, and was also defeated for the Ota go Hospital Hoard. In Auckland, an attempt to train control of the Mount Eden Horougli Council resulted in the defeat, of all the Labour candidates, and there was i a turnover against Labour at Onei hunga. The Labour Mayor of Gisborno. Mr. T). W. Coleman. M.P.. failed to secure re-election and lost the seat he had occupied on the Cook Hospital Hoard since 1918. His party's majority ou the borough council also disappeared. Citizens' Associations won all the seats on the Napier and Hastings Rorough Councils. For the first time the elections were held on a Saturday instead of a Wednesday, but this failed to increase the proportion of electors who voted, the average in a number of instances being under 50 per cent. Tn Auckland pollinn- was heaviest in the morning, and faded to recover after a falling-off at noon. Auckland City Contest In the Auckland Mayoral contest Mr. Allum, the former deputy-mayor, polled 16,"244 votes, and gained a majority of 1332 over the Labour nominee, Mr. J. I Sayegh. who suffered defeat for the third time in succession. Two other candidates, Mr. C. Bailey and Mr. J. ! w Pavne, polled 1004 and 218 votes I respectively. The only successful Labour i candidate for the council was Mrs. M. ! M. Drearer, a sitting councillor. Of 65.684 electors on the roll, only 30703 or 19.8 per cent, voted. This compares with a vote of 42.918 three years ago. equal to 64.93 por cent. Hospital and Harbour Boards All the sitting members of the Auckland Hospital Hoard who sought, reelection. nine in number, were returned including the present chairman. Mr. Allan J. Moody. The three seats vacated by retirements were filled a> follows: —Auckland City, Mr. .J. «L Kingston, replacing a Labour member, Pi .| 1' Hastings; North Shore boroughs. Mr •!. Ciuiniven. replacing Mr. \\\ K. Howitt; Manukau County, etc , Mr. V. M. Tracey. replacing the Rev. W. C. Wood. Only two changes resulted from the Auckland Harbour Board election. Mr. W. F. McCallum replaced Mr. C. G. Macindoe as one of the representatives of payers of dues on ships, and Mr. >T. R Fow was returned for the Hamilton seat, \vhich Mr. C. A. Harrell. M P . had vacated. Mr .J. Sayegh retained one of the Auckland City seats for Labour. In the suburban boroughs the general tendency was to return Mayors and councillors who sought re-election, and changes that occurred were mostly due to retirements. No poll was required for the Ellerslie Borough Council, and five Mayors, those of Mount Albert, Newmarket, One Tree Hill. Ellerslie and Papakun. wore re-elected unopposed. Labour Reverse at Onehunga The onlv turnover occurred at Onehunga. where Labour has had an overwhelming majority for the past three years. Mr .T. Park was returned as Mayor bv a majority of 78 over the sitting Mayor, Mr. A. Garside. who had severed his connection with official Labour. The latter's candidate, Mr. L. C. McClintock. was a further 364 votes behind. Mr, Park's supporters secured six scats on the council and Labour the remaining three, compared with eight out of nine a' the last election. The position of four candidates, however, is doubtful pending the official count. There were triangular contests for both the Mayoralty and the council at Mount Eden, where the sitting Mayor, Mr. I!. .1, Mills, was returned, together with nine out of ten council candidates associated with him. The remaining three seats were filled by sitting councillors who supported the candidature ol Mr. A. C. Johns for the Mayoralty. The Labour nominee for Mayor, the Hon. H. Martin. M.L.C., and his party's ten candidates for the council were all unsuccessful. Other Mayoralties At Devon port Mr. R. G. May was elected Mayor by a majority of 602 over the former deputy-mayor, Mr. E. Aldridge. The Labour candidate for the New Lynn Mayoralty, Mr. S. W. Rickards. defeated Mr, J. S. Akehurst, acting-Mayor in the absence on active service of the Mayor, Mr. A. T. Reinian. The only two Labour Mayors returned in the Auckland metropolitan area are Mr Rickards and the Mayor of Otahuhu. Mi C. R. Petrie, M.P. The sitting Mayors of Rotorua, Mr. T. Jackson, and To Aroha, Mr. R. Coulter, wore defeated after 12 and 20years respectively in oflice.