LABOUR GAINS CONTROL

Taranaki Daily News, 2 December 1933, Page 9

LABOUR GAINS CONTROL

CHRISTCH URCH TRAMWAYS ELECTION OF BOARD MEMBERS. SEVEN OF THE NINE SEATS WON. KEENEST OF INTEREST AROUSED. By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, Dec. 1. The final figures, declared this morning, show that the Labour Party has gained a sweeping and unexpected victory in the Christchurch Tramway Board election, winning seven of the nine seats. Only two members of the old board, Mrs. E. R. McCombs, M.P. (Labour) and Mr. J. Walter (Independent), were . reelected. The only Citizens’ Association representative on the new board is Mr. C. E. Jones. On the old board there was only one Labour representative.. There was a rather larger poll than usual. In the Spreydon-Addington area Mr. E. J. Howard, M.P., was elected by an overwhelming majority. For Riccar-ton-Fendalton area a badly split vote allowed Labour to win the seat. AvonBrighton was won by Mr. W. J. Walter (Independent) and Hills-Sumner by Mrs. McCombs by a narrow majority over Mr. J. Sim. Other Labour members are the Rev. J. K. Archer, Messrs. E. Parlane, G. Manning, J. Matheson, Y. T. Thurston. Mr. Matheson was president of the old tramway union concerned in last year’s strike. The members defeated were Messrs. G.- T. Booth (chairman), E. H. Andrews, W. Hayward (Citizens’ Association) and A. A. McLachlan (Independent). Three members of the old board did not seek re-election. Interest in the election was aroused by the effort of the Labour Party to gain control of the board, and in candidates’ speeches and propaganda on both sides there were references to the strike of last year. Anti-Labbur candidates suggested that if Labour gained control of the board the volunteers who maimed the ■ trams during the strike would be dismissed.

The election was the keenest in the history of the board, twice as many votes being recorded as at the election three years ago.