MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

Southland Times, Issue 18931, 3 May 1923, Page 5

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

FINAL CHRISTCHURCH RESULTS (Per United Press Association). CHRISTCHURCH, May 3. The City Council voting has been completed and the official results are as follows:—Messrs Beanland, Agar, J. Anderson, O. W. B. Anderson, McKellar, Beaver, Williams, Leadley, Andrews (Citizens’ Association), Messrs Armstrong, M.P., Howard, M.P., Cooke, Carr and Mrs McCombs (Labour), and Mr Winsor (Independent). PREFERENTIAL SYSTEM NEW METHOD OF COUNTING VOTES ADVOCATED (Special to the Times.) CHRISTCHURCH, May 3. Reference to the present system of voting at local body elections in Christchurch was made at to-day’s meeting of the executive of the Canterbury Progress League. The matter was brought up by Mr A. G. Henderson, who said that the system resulted in a waste of much time, before the final results were known. He suggested that it would be an excellent advertisement for New Zealand if the English system of counting votes was tried before the ballot papers were finally disposed of.

Mr H. T. Armstrong said that the matter was of interest to the whole community. He had been given to understand that there were distinct advantages in the English system, which was quicker and less costly than the present system. He was in favour of representation being made to the Government with regard to the matter. Mr A. Manhire said that there were other methods which were quicker than the present system of counting votes. He understood the system adopted in Switzerland, for instance, was better. He had heard that a gentleman in Christchurch, by one of these methods, within two hours after the first results were known on Thursday was able to get the final results, whereas they were not known to the public until to-day.

Mr W. H. Winsor said that being so cumbersome, the present system kept the candidates in misery, awaiting the results. Once a candidate’s quota was known he said it was possible after the first preferential votes were published to forecast the final results. This had been done in Christchurch now on three occasions.

Mr H. Holland expressed himself as being opposed to preferential voting. He did not see, he said, why 1300 of his votes should go to someone else. Mr Henderson’s suggestion was put into the form of a motion to the effect that a telegram be sent to the Minister of Internal Affairs, or whoever else was in charge of ballot papers asking that a trial be given to the English system of counting before, the papers were destroyed. The motion was carried. WELLINGTON MAYORALTY. CORRECTED FIGURES. WELLINGTON, May 2. The recount of votes cast in the Mayoraal election gives Mr Wright a majority of 273 over Mr Fraser, which is nineteen more than the first figures disclosed. The corrected figures are:— Mr Wright 10,876 . Mr Fraser 10,580 Mr McKenzie 4,228