MR WACHNER TOPS POLL

Southland Times, Issue 24438, 19 May 1941, Page 8

MR WACHNER TOPS POLL

VOTING FAVOURS SITTING MEMBERS The citizens of Invercargill in the municipal election held on Saturday expressed confidence in the previous City Council by returning seven of the eight members of that council who sought re-election. Mr A. Dix was the only retiring councillor who was defeated- Mr A. Wachner topped the poll with 3518 votes; he had a substantial lead of 705 votes over Mr A. W. Jones, who was second. If the usual custom is followed, Mr Wachner will become DeputyMayor. Mr J. Pickard was a close third. These three were all members of the previous council. Mr G. J. Reed, who was fourth in the poll, was not on the last council, but he had previously served the city as a councillor and was Deputy-Mayor for a term. He was followed by four retiring councillors, Messrs W. J. Thomas, F. A. Webb, A- Scott and R. T. Parsons, who were placed in the poll in that order, and the last four places were occupied by Messrs T. Pryde, W- Aitchison, W. H. Boyes and Dr G. B. Orbell, none of whom was a councillor during the last term. Dr Orbell has a lead of only 37 from Mr J. G. N. 0. Hewton, who has the highest number of votes among the unsuccessful candidates, so there is a possibility of the positions being reversed by the official recount. None of the candidates forfeited his deposit. The electors showed little enthusiasm for the “ticket” of the Invercargill Ratepayers’ and Citizens’ Association. Only six of the 12 candidates recommended to the electors by the association were elected. They were Messrs Pickard, Reed, Thomas, Webb, Scott and Boyes, and of these only two, Messrs Reed and Boyes, were not members of the previous council.