MAYORAL ELECTIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5731, 26 November 1896, Page 1

MAYORAL ELECTIONS.

«■ CHRISTCHURCH. The polling went on steadily till the hour for closing, G p.m., but the number of votes recorded was nearly 200 less than that at the mayoral election of last year. Rather less 7 than an hour after the poll closed the Returning-officer, Mr Henry Thomson, posted the result, which was :— W. H. Cooper 692 J. T. Smith ... 525 Informal 6 Majority for Mr Cooper 167 A large crowd was assembled outside the polling place, and the statement of the result was received with cheers. Mr Cooper warmly thanked the citizens for his return, and his committee for the energetic way in which they bad worked. He was particularly pleased at the result, as it showed that the citizens had not been influenced by the statements made against him. He had been twitted with having pandered to the unemployed during his previous term of office, hut he had done nothing of the sort. T£ the citizens would only consider the terribly severe winter of his year, how the country from the North Cape to Southland had been visited by snowstorms, how there was, in consequence, no work in the country districts, so that the labourers were driven into the towns, they would realise that the case had really been exceptional. These men had clamoured for work, for the opportunity to get bread, and he was glad to be able to say that he had not given them stones instead. He had been charged with having expended the ratepayers' money upon the unemployed. . "Well, he had moved in the City Council for a grant of ,£2OO, which had been carried, and through the action of a few .gentlemen besides himself nearly .£4OOO had- been spent in works in and in the neighbourhood of Christchurch, and nearly .£3OOO of that had come from the consolidated revenue of the colony. . For the .£2OO voted by the Council they had had at least from .£IOOO to .£I2OO spent in labour to beautify the city. He again thanked the ratepayers, and expressed his determination to do his best in the interest of all, the citizens. Mr Cooper's remarks were received with a good deal of applause. Mr J. T. Smith heartily thanked the citizens who had voted for him and the members of the committee which had worked so well for him. .He complained that the whole power of the liquor trade had been used against him, though there had been an implied understanding that the contest should not be fought on, such lines. Had he wished, he could have had the whole, power of the Prohibition League at his back. .• The action of the members of the liquor trade had 'hot been fair,- and would only recoil upon themselves on the day of : the general election. The remarks of Mr Smith were received with cheers and some uproar. The total number of votes polled on this occasion was 1223, against .1416 in 1895, when Mr Beswick polled 844 votes? to ;Mr: WiddowsoriV 866, -sand there were -sis; informal votes. ~ ..■■',. Mr W. H. Cooper's committee met at Arenas's-'Cafe de Jb'aris Jasfc evening,, and spent a very pleasant time. , Mr G. Hart,, chairman -of committee, presided, and amongst -.the toasts honoured were "The Mayor Elect," "The Ex-mayor,". '•Excouncillors," "The' Mercantile Trade," " The .Canvassers," and " The Chairman of Committee.".