MAYORAL ELECTIONS.

New Zealand Mail, 9 December 1892, Page 38

MAYORAL ELECTIONS.

WELLINGTON. The oontest between Mr H. F. D. Bell (present Mayor) and Mr George Fisher, M.H.8., was carried out last week with the ntmost good temper, and at the same time excited very general interest. Strong committees were working in the interests of the respective candidates, and a large number of oabs were under commission cruising about for voters, and after the usual fashion running theca np to the poll. The oely thing in the nature of an election skit was a small card embellished with the lithographed portrait of Mr Fisher, and over the legend 1 Our George—Top of the Poll ’ giving the number of votes he polled at the last general election. If this was intended to foreshadow tbe issue of the present contest it has proved singularly unfortunate. However, these cards were distributed about town, and were worn as a kind of badge in the hat by Mr Fisher's more demonstrative supporters, and particularly by his cab-drivers, The Exohange Hall was easily reoogniaed as the pollingplace by reason of the groups of people who were collected on the footpath outside and under the verandah across tha road, and v by other unmistakable tokens of a contested election. Mr Fisher was strongly in evidence all day, bat bis opponent (Mr Bell) did not once appear on the soene, for the quite sufficient reason that ha was engaged all day at the Supreme Court conducting the trial of Henry William Finley for murder. The arrangements at the polling station were marked by method and regularity, ■ds the voters entered the hall from Lambton quay they were confronted by a long bench or table, placarded into four 617181000, viz.,

A to D, E lo J, K to Q, and R to Z, and each division was presided over by an officer, while the returning officer, Mr James Ames sat in the centre aud super* vised everything. His four assistants were W. H. Bennett (A to D), C. J. Alexander (E to J), Joseph Amca (K to Q), and W. W. Widdop (R to Z). As the voter entered he selected tho particular division whioh comprised the initial letter of his -surname, obtained his voting psper, retired behind the voting screen, oast his vote, deposited his paper in the ballot box, and passed out from the hall by the side door. By this means confusion was avoided, and the arriving and departing voters had no need to above or elbow their way in or out. The progress of the voting will most simply aud easily be understood from the following statement of the times at whioh each suooessive century of the first 1400 votes was completed Ist hundred, 9.40 a.m. ; 2nd, 10 15 a.m. ; 3rd, 10.55 a.m. ; 4th, 11.10 a.m. ; sth, 11.30 a.m. ; 6th, noon; 7th, 12.15 p.m. ; Btb, 12.30p.m. ; 9th, 1 p.m.; 10th, 1.30p.m. ; 11th, 2 p.m. ; 12th, 2.30 p.m. ; 13th, 3p.m.; 14th, 3.30 p.m. It will thus be seen thst from 12 to 2 the voting was very brisk, no less than 500 votes being recorded during those two hours. The special roll, which was prepared for the occasion, contained the names of 3046 voters, while the total number of votes polled was 1982, made op as follows : Mr Bell 1405 Mr Fisher 572 Informal votes 5 Majority for Bell 833 One thousand nine hundred and eighty-two votes is the largest number ever polled for a mayoral election in Wellington, and Mr Bell’s totsl, and also the majority, are the largest also. About 200 ladiQs voted during the day, this also being the largest proportion of lady voters ever polled in a Wellington municipal election. The silent respeot

shown these ladies by the crowd, the deference paid them by officials and committeeman of both sides, and the businesslike manner in which the ladiss exercised the franuhiso- were not lost upon those who watched the prooeedinge, and oertalnly went to sustain the case made oat fur womanhood suffrage. It only remains to say that the polling was very fast, nearly four per minute from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tho result of the poll was deolared at 6 35 p.m., there being but very few people present at the time. The result was made known to Mr Bell in the Supreme Court just as the adjournment for tea was being made at 6.45 p.m., and he received the news with manifest satisfaction, and was cordially felicitated on all hands. PETONE. The result of the election for tbe Mayoralty at Petone was as follows : R. C. Kirk ... 160 S. R. Johnston ... 103 Foxton, December 1. Mr George Nye has been elected Mayor of Foxton. Mr Nye polled 69 to his opponent’s (Mr J. R. MoMillan’s) 46. THE DUNEDIN ELECTION. FISH DEFEATED. (press association.) Dunedin, Deoember 1. The Msyoral eleotion exoited muoh interest to-day, and a very prominent part was taken in it by the women. The results are Charles Haynes, 938 ; H. S. Fish, M.H.R., 753 ; and Chapman (present Mayor), 166. The following is the result of the suburban Mayoral eleotions North East Valley, S. Myers; Maori HilJ, P. Palkington ; Caversham, J. Hancook; South Dunedin, W. Henderson.

Mr J. Simpson was elected Mayor of Goro by a majority of 22 over Mr Alfred Delamore, proprietor of the Matanra Ensign. Hawera, Deoember 1. The Mayoral eleotioo resulted as follows : —Major, 97 , Davidson, 75. Oamaru, Deoember 1. Mr D. Dunn wm re-elected Mayor to-day for the fifth time in succession. The voting wse Dunn, 194; Sinclair, 111; McDowell, 84. Invercargill, December l. Councillor Dnnoau Maofarlane was eleoted Mayor of Invercargill to-day, the voting being Maofarlane, 251; Froggatt, 193.