THE BOROUGH COUNCIL ELECTIONS.

Timaru Herald, Volume LX, Issue 2496, 10 September 1897, Page 3

THE BOROUGH COUNCIL ELECTIONS.

The polling for the vacancies m the Borough Council for two wards proceeded briskly all yesterday, and energetic supporters of candidates were very busy 1 securing the attendance of voters. In , both cases the issue was considered doubtful " till the numbers are up." The 1 new men left no stone unturned to 1 secure votes, and though there was some i quiet chaffing it was all taken m good . part, and the main question of getting - the voters to roll up was not lost sight of. The result for the north-east ward, the polling booth for which was the , Town Hall, and the returning officer, Mr E. H. Lough, town clerk, was made known at 6.30 p.m. ; the result for the 1 north-west ward, the deputy returning i officer being Mr M. F. Dennehy, was i announced at 7.5 p.m. , The following are the official returns ' as made by Mr Lough, the returning • officer : — ) NORTH-EAST WARD. Votes Mr Thomas Thomson 173 Mr Andrew Sherratt 103 The number of. voters on the roll wai I 166, who had 389 votes ; and the numbe; j of voters who recorded their votes was j 117, exercising 878 votes (two votes wen informal). 1 NORTH-WEST WARD. r Votes . Mr Alfred Targuse 83 Mr Anthony Mills 58 The number of voters on the roll wa 183, with 243 votes ; and the number o ■- voters who went to the poll 108 an< I votes recorded 142 (one vote was m 1 formal). There was a fair number of person 6 present at the Town Hall, and judgin d by the applause and enthusiasm the wii c was evidently a very popular one. M Thomson thanked the ratepayers for re l " turning him with such a substantis t majority. He had no thought of enterin upon a public position himself, but whe. j. he was asked to contest the seat o the Council by many influential citizens l " he at once acceded to the reques i r Having made up his mind to contest th il seat he had done so to the best of hi ability. The fact that he was a repre sentative of the principal ward, th '•' business ward, was an addition; is pleasure to him at being returne< ie Until he got the run of the rope m the Council, he would support an workmanlike measures that were brougl forward, looking for a lead from me business capacity ; but as soo 1, as he got familiar with business 1 n would strike out for himself. E »c thought that Titnaru was a splendi le little town, both for business and as place of residence; but did not thir

that the most had been made m the way of inducing people to come and settle here, the moneyed classes more particularly. He reminded them what a splendid beach they had, and the great attractions m the way of climate. These were ideas which struck him at the moment as inducements i to people to come to Timaru, and L they should strive to make things nice for them. He referred with much plea- . sure to what had been done m Caroline , Bay by Messrs Stuart and Stumbles, and thought an extension of that sort of thing -this by way of an instancewould induce people to come here. Pie was prepared to go On these lines, even though they had to pay a little more than they were paying at present, m the way of rates. Mr Thomson, who had frequently been warmly applauded, once more thanked them for the confidence they reposed m him. Mr Sherratt thanked those who had voted for him. It was evident that he was not wanted m that ward. He did not wish to prolong the agony, and would, therefore, move a vote of thanks to the Returning Officer. The motion was seconded by Mr Thomson, and carried by applause. There was a large crowd at the Wesleyan Schoolroom to hear the result, but not the slightest enthusiasm was shown on the declaration of the poll, m marked contrast to the hearty reception at the Town Hall. Mr Targuse spoke very briefly. He warmly thanked them for returning him as a councillor and said that he would do his best to merit the confidence reposed m him. Mr Mills thanked those who had voted for him, and moved a vote of thanks to the returning officer, which was seconded by Mr Targuse and carried.