CITY ELECTION CONTESTS

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

CITY ELECTION CONTESTS

LABOUR SETBACK IN CHRISTCHURCH

MR E. 11. ANDREWS MAYOR

(P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, May 18. Labour was overwhelmingly defeated in the municipal elections in Christchurch yesterday. It lost the mayoralty and control of the City Council, suffered a heavy reduction in its representation on the Christchurch Tramway Board, lost three of its four city seats for the Lyttelton Harbour Board, and won only three of the ten city seats for the North Canterbury Hospital Board on which previously its representation was six.

In a small poll Mr E. H. Andrews (Citizens’ Association mayoral candidate) had a comfortable lead of 1192 votes from the Labour candidate, Mr E. Parlane. Mr J. K. Moloney (Independent), who headed what he called a “win the war” group, secured 4672 votes, and Mr C. T. Rodda (Independent) lost his deposit.

The extent of the Labour loss is best measured in the City Council, where Labour has four seats out of 16, whereas in the last council it had 10. The

deciding votes at the meetings of the Tramway Board may now rest with two Independent members, Messrs W. J. Walter and A. A. McLachlan, as in yesterday’s election six city seats were divided equally among Labour and Citizens’ Association candidates. Another Labour member, Sergeant J. S. Barr, is serving overseas. In the previous board seven of the nine members were Labour supporters. Mr H. E. Denton (the Labour chairman) and Corporal R. M. Macfarlane, the retiring Mayor, who was deputy chairman, lost their seats. This was the only seat Corporal Macfarlane contested. Mrs Macfarlane stood unsuccessfully for both the Hospital Board and the City Council.

DUNEDIN MAYORALTY MR ALLEN RE-ELECTED (P.A.) DUNEDIN, May 18. Labour lost one representative on each .of the city local bodies. The Citizens’ candidate, Mr A. H. Allen, retained the mayoralty, defeating Dr D. G McMillan, M.P. The voting was: Allen 13,685; McMillan 12,524. On the City Council the Citizens’ Association, which did not oppose Lieutenant Commander P. G. Connolly, now on active service, obtained nine of the 12 seats. The Citizens’ Association also has a majority of six to one on the Hospital Board. Among the defeated candidates was Dr McMillan. Mrs McMillan, a sitting member, lost her seat. Out of a roll of 41,048 only 26.715 cast their votes in the mayoral election. MR HISLOP'S BIG MAJORITY SUCCESS OF CITIZENS’ CANDIDATES (P.A.) WELLINGTON, May 18. For the mayoralty of Wellington the Citizens’ candidate and sitting Mayor, Mr T. C. A. Hislop, was returned by a majority of nearly 9000 votes over the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Labour candidate,

Mr R. McKeen, M.P. This was the biggest majority of Mr Hislop’s 10 years in office, already a record in length for the capital city, before his re-election for a further three years. The voting was: Hislop 19,851; McKeen 10,926; majority 8925. In one of the biggest landslides in the history of municipal politics in Wellington, the Citizens’ ticket captured all 15 seats on the City Council and unseated all six sitting Labour councillors. The new members of the council are Mrs Knox Gilmer, Messrs B. J. Todd, R. H. Nimmo, F. W. Furkert, C. M. Bowden, W. H. Stevens and J. D. Sievright. The defeated councillors, all Labour, were: Messrs R. McKeen, C. H. Chapman, M.P., T. Brindle, M.L.C., P. M. Butler and A. Black and Mrs R. Semple, wife of the Minister of National Service. Messrs | McKeen, Chapman and Brindle had j served long terms on the council. j The 13 Citizens’ candidates for the Wellington Hospital Board were all successful. Labour failed to return candidates. Heading the Labour can- ! didates was Mr H. E. Combs, M.P., with I 12,255 votes, 2561 fewer than the last I successful candidate. Mrs Semple, who ! last election was third with 22,011 votes, I was fifteenth with 11,624.

Citizens’ candidates gained the four town seats on the Wellington Harbour Board. Citizens and Labour formerly held two seats each. The town members now are: Messrs C. J. B. Norwood (re-elected), W. Appleton (reelected), M. Fraser and H. L. Nathan. The defeated Labour candidates were Messrs McKeen and Chapman.

MR ALLUM MAYOR OF AUCKLAND

CITIZENS’ CANDIDATES WIN 20 COUNCIL SEATS

(P.A.) AUCKLAND, May 18. An outstanding contest for the Auckland City mayoralty resulted in the election of Mr J. A. C. Allum (Citizens’ candidate), the retiring Deputy-Mayor, who with a vote of 16,244 had a majority of 1332 over Mr J. Sayegh (Labour), his most serious rival.

An outstanding feature of the election of members of the Auckland City Council was the almost complete defeat of a ticket put forward by the official Labour Party. In all there were 48 candidates for 21 seats and of those 21 were put forward by the Citizens’ and Ratepayers’ Association and a similar number by the Laboui- Party. Mr R. Armstrong, a former Labour member of the council, stood as an Independent Labour candidate and there were three other Independents and two Communists. The Citizens’ Association secured the return of 20 of its candidates and the Labour Party won only one seat, Mrs M. M. Dreaver, a retiring member of the council, being re-elected. Three other sitting members who sought reelection on the Labour ticket were defeated. these being Messrs W. T. Anderton. M.P., P. Carr. M.P., and J. J. Sullivan. Eight of the Citizens’ representatives who sat in the previous council and sought re-election were returned. The retiring chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board, Mr A. J. Moody, retained his seat on the board from a Labour candidate by. 131 votes on a provisional count. The board now comprises three Citizens’ representatives and two Labour members, reversing the position that obtained before the election.

POLLING IN OTHER CENTRES MR COLEMAN DEFEATED AT GISBORNE

Results of the polling in other centres are given in the following Press Association messages:—■

GERALDINE. — Mr D. C. McKechnie was re-elected Mayor unopposed. GISBORNE. — Mayoralty, N. H. Bull (Citizens) 2988; D. W. Coleman, M.P. (Labour) 2416. Mr Coleman had been Mayor since 1933. Mr Coleman was also defeated for the Hospital Board on which he has sat continuously since 1918. The Labour Party, which previously had control, retained only two seats on the Borough Council, and lost one of two held on the Power Board. GREYMOUTH. — The contest for the mayoralty resulted: F. A. Kitchingham (sitting Mayor) 1717; F. L. Turley 960. The following Mayors were re-elected unopposed: Brunner, Mr J. Smeaton; Kumara, Mr A. B. Spiers; Hokitika, Mr G. A. Perry; Ross, Mr K. O. May. Mr E. Kennedy was elected Mayor of Runanga unopposed. Mi- J. A. Murdoch, a

former chairman of the Wesland County Council, was defeated. HASTlNGS.— Mayoralty, A. I. Rainbow (Citizens) 3459; S. B. Plumby (Ratepayers) 1096; H. I. Simson (Independent) 389. Citizens’ candidates won all the council seats., LOWER HUTT.— Mr J. W. Andrews (Citizens’ nominee) was re-elected Mayor. Labour lost three seats formerly held on the council. LYTTELTON.— The mayoral contest resulted: F. E. Sutton (present Mayor) 776; W. T. Lester 672.

NAPIER.— Mr T. W. Hercock (sitting Mayor) was returned unopposed. Citizens’ candidates won all the council seats.

NELSON.— Mr E. R. Neale was returned unopposed.

PALMERSTON NORTH.— Mayoral election, A. E. Mansford 3868; C. R. Murphy 2189; W. B. Tennent 2410. TEMUKA.— Mr W. H. McMillan beat Mr L. F. Robins by 412 to 144. TIMARU.— Mr W. G. Tweedy was returned as Mayor unopposed.

WAIMATE.— Mr G. Dash, who has been Mayor of Waimate since 1925, was defeated by Mr W. F. Boland by 695 votes to 457. •

WANGANUI.— MayoraI election. W. J. Rogers (sitting Mayor, Labour) 4530; E. B. Tustin 3397.

WESTPORT.— There were three candidates for the mayoralty, Mr J. M. Robertson, the retiring Mayor, Mr C. H. Thomas, Deputy-Mayor, and a Labour candidate, and Mr J. Kilkenny, who is a former Mayor. The voting resulted in an absolute majority of 222 votes for Mr Robertson over his two rivals, the voting being: Robertson 1031; Kilkenny 503; Thomas 306.