OPUNAKE A BOROUGH

Taranaki Daily News, 19 June 1937, Page 6

OPUNAKE A BOROUGH

POLL FOR FIRST COUNCIL APPOINTMENT OF SIX MEMBERS. SIX COUN CILLORS ELECTED. FOUR ON FORMER TOWN BOARD. VOTING BY 75 PER CENT. OF ROLL. Opunake, rccently constitutecl a borough, elected its first council yesterday. Interest in the event was so great that 75 per cent. of those on the roll recorded voles, this being a higher proportion than for any election for the town board. There were 12 noniinations for six seats 011 the new council, and the following is the result of the voting, members of the old town board being dcno ted by an asterisk:—

Elected. *W. E. Gunson 244 G. Feaver 225 «E. N. Griffin 222 *L. Des Forges 181 *H. Booker 173 D. Morey 158 Uusuccessful. H. Davey 134 A. Penn 132 W. Reardon 119 *W. S. Dudley 113 R. Otene 65 A. Francis 61 It is of interest that whereas Mr. Gunson, who topped the poll yesterday, received 244 votes, the candidate most favoured at the town's first town board election was given only 27 votes. Mr. J. A, Brennan, formerly chairman of the town board, is Opunake's first Mayor, having been returned unopposed. Mr. Brennan also represents the district on the Taranaki Hospital Board. He and Mr. J. S. Hickey were the only borough nominees for two seats on the Opunake Power Board. After the restilts of the poll were announced last night Mr. Brennan and the successful candidates expressed thanks to the burgesses.