MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16412, 28 April 1921, Page 4

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

DR THACKER RE-ELECTED MAYOR

UNEXPECTED RESULTS IN CITY COUNCIL POLLING.

EQUAL DIVISION OF PARTIES. TV TbackVr, M.P., was re-elected Mayor of CliristcKurcH By a very narrow majority in yesterday s municipal elections in a straight-out contest, witli Mr I. W. Beanland. In the. election of City Councillors the proportional representation system of voting’ was employed. The unofficial figures on the first count show that the Citizens’ Association which expected to win nine seats will have to be content with no moro than seven, while Labour will get five or six and Independents three or four seats. Proportional representation was used in ihe election of city members of the Hospital and Harbour boards.- and the figures in all cases make an interesting study.

FAIRLY QUIET POLL,

ELECTION FOUGHT ON PARTY LINES. The election was fought on party lines, but without any outstanding issue, as was the case in 1917, when the Labour Party lost seats in its espousal of the anti-conscription cause. In yesterday’s election the Labour candidates stood strongly for proportional representation, while the Citizens’ As- • roc'at ion's candidates, for some reason, were almost unanimous either in opposing it or professing to withhold their judgment on it Tire independent candidates, eight m number, were undoubtedly motley in their views. They anticipated thnl several scats would be won by independents, and they were not far astray in llieir expectations. There wa= no very nard campaigning in any camp, and it was very difficult to predict how the election would result “ Vote early and often," is a humorous maxim for polling day. In the city booths, and particularly at the Provincial Council Chamber, the citizens voted early in the morning, but in the outskirts the polling was very light indeed. It was quite impossible to forecast a light or. heavy poll. The warm, *unnv weather was a favourable omen, and so was the activity of the parties, but in the absence of any outstanding issue there seemed to be some reason for believing that the poll would no substantially lighter than the previous proportional representation poll in 191 <, when 16.677 valid votes were recorded. The returning officer (Mr Albert Freeman) made a circuit of the booths early, and found that everything was gome smoothly. However, lie did not v.scape some very unintelligent ques-, ■Hons in one or two cases, principally in the direction of what should he done with the bundles of seconn and third preferences. .Such a question was absolutely unforgiveable in view of the minute instructions given to deputies that only first preferences were to he counted, and that the voting papers •should he parcelled in bundles according to first preferences. However, his experience late in the evening in connection with one booth, where the deputy carefully parcelled up the ballot papers of the three leading candidates onlv led him to ihe conclusion that *ome persons would never learn. At the Provincial Council Chambers, there was a constant gathering and dispersing of voters throughout the day, and the number of motor-cars in use indicated that every effort was being made to get the electors to the poll. Tip till three o’clock in the afternoon ihdre were indications of a light poll. At the Art Gallery less than 200 votes had been registered; but the voting was heavier at the Provincial Council Chamber. There was a distinct rush in some cases from five o’clock onwards, and at the Foresters’ Hall there were many voters at six o’clock that they had to he admitted in hatches. At the Provincial Council Chambers there was no congestion at. seven o’clock, when ihe poll dosed. The quantity of so-called, literature offered to the voter at almost every booth was a feature of the polling. The Citizens’ Association and the Labour Party had volunteers outside the booths distributing cards bearing the names of their candidates. Independent candidates were also nt work distributing reminders. All these cards, undoubtedly were an attempt to influence the- voter, but the parties professed to he satisfied that it was not a breach of the Act. fo Jong as the cards did not bear any injunction to vote for anybody.

RECEIVING THE RESULTS, QUICK WORK BY DEPUTIES. Thp. first return was received at 7.3 7 p.m. in the small room at the Provincial Council Chambers- The receipt, of returns was carried o'lt by the Town Clerk (Mr lb R. Smith), rrnd Mr S. Neville. As oaeli return came in the totals were added to those already m hand and the result was sent out immediately to the board. The Oddfellows’ Hall in ihe central Ward had the credit of sending in the first return, which gave Thacker 82 aud Beanland 54. The second call, on the heels of the first, was from the Spre.ydon Borough Council Chamber, giving Beanland 83 and Thacker 74. The third came from the Oddfellows’ Hall, L inwood, giving Beanland 129 and Thacker 110. The fourth return, from Hill’s Road, was three in Boanland's favour. These results all came on toy) of one another, and it was probable that they had been waiting for the wire. A Fitzgerald Avenue result gave Thacker a lift of €B, but the No. 1 Provincial booth, which was seventh, a very early result for such, a big booth, robbed Thacker of his lead. At the eighth return the men were exactly level, but then Beanland forged ahead

and got a. tremendous lift from Provincial Council No. 2. Then some apparent inconsistencies occurred. Dover Street, St Albans, gave Thacker an unexpected majoritv of 29, and he regained the lead at the Hibernian Hall, where he polled 326 against Beanland’s 90. Thacker retained a gradually increasing majority until Beanland reached his top score at Rugby Street with 474 to 107. This made the figures Beanland 6168, Thacker, 6730. Just when everything seemed to be in favour of early results the inevitable hitch occurred with some of the deputies’ returns, and the Mayoral figures were so greatly delayed that they were completed only a few minutes before the City Council election, at übout 11.30 p.m. The results on the unofficial figures were as follows : MAYORALTY. Thacker .... 7673 Beanland . . . 7246 CITY COUNCIL. (Sixteen Seats )

diction at tire present juncture, it appears as if those who may k>se their seats on the present council are Messrs F. 'Bnrgoyne > E. E. Eangley, H. Hunter, F. R. Oocvke and J. O. Jameson.

FINDING THE QUOTA, INFORMAL VOTES NUMEROUS. The figures arrived at last night were subject to revision, and it may he that, the very large percentage of informal votes will be reduced considerably on. a scrutiny. In the meantime, the retruruing officer attributes them to carelessness on the pkrt of the voters in. not reading the very simple voting instructions.

The quota may ho arrived at roughly on the present, figures. This is done by dividing the number of valid votes Q-t. 041) by one more than the number of seats to be filled, and then adding one. to the result. The quota, therefore. is 826- The greatest surplus of any candidate, is held by Sullivan., who wifi have more than a. thousand second preferences to distribute, and this, coupled with the fact that. Archer also has a considerable surplus, makes it very’ difficult to ray what members of the party will benefit by the transfers. The same remarks apply to Agar’s surplus on the Citizens’ ticket. At the last proportional representation poll in Christ church. it was found that the party strength of the council, when finally elected, corresponded exactly with the first preferences, thus indicating consistent party or ticket voting. There is no reason, in the present election. to expect cross voting except in relation to the independent candidates, a.nd therefore ft is reasonable to assume that, the seats will lx> filled as follows : Equitable repreVotoe. sentation. Seats Citizens. . 5902 6.7-1 7 Labour . 4966 5.65 6 Independent 3173 3.61 3 Tt will be seen that the Citizens' Association has the''greatest fraction of a seat according to first preferences, and the Independents the least, but it is difficult to predict how the seats w ill finally be allocated, a» the Independents are not very likely to receive preferences from party voters. A comparison of the percentages of votes cast at the Oifcy Council, Hospital Board and Harbour Board elections for the various party candidates is as follows :

THE MAYORALTY. T>R THACKER'S NARROW WIN. There was no outstanding issue on the Mayoralty. Dr Thacker, who was elected two yeans ago bv a narrow majority, supported proportional representation. and Councillor 3. W. Beanland, liis opponent, opposed it. Otherwise there was no important issue on which the candidates differed. Councillor Beanland, ns chairman of the Works Committee aud deputy- M ay or, bad qualified for the office, but the Citizens’ Association declined to take him up, on the ground that be was not a strong; enough candidate to win the election,. Therefore both the candidates were officially independent, although I>r Thacker was credited with carrying the Labour vote, and Mr Beanlaud Übe greater part of the votes of the Citizens’ Association, reinforced by a. strong personal vote in the northern half of the city. The result of the elecjtiou must have been a big surprise to me majority of electors, for Dr Thacker was hardly expected to be pushed so

close at the finish. An analysis of the following fixtures show how the candidates were savoured in given localities :

PAST MAYORAL ELECTIONS. FAIRLY HEAVY VOTE THIS YEAR. The figu res this year show that while the record poll of 1917 was not reached, the voting was fairly heavy for a strfaightout contest. Comparative figures are as follow :

SPEECHES BY CANDIDATES. __ A LIVELY CROWD Though there, were some rowdy sections in the big crowd in front of the result board, the majority of the candidates who spoke received a good hearing. Interjections were frequent at intervals, and there was occasionally some C( counting out.” A-t ten o’clock Dr Thacker addressed the crowd from his motor-car. “ 1 want to thank those people who have 1

made me Mayor and my wife Mayoress." bo said. “I am proud oi this city. I am going to he prouder of it, because Tam going to fight like a tiger- (Laughter. and cries of Bluff them, Doctor.”) 'flhere. is no good in two sides playing ‘ bluff 3 on the council. V e want to pull along. I congratulate m y opponent on the fight he has put up. I believe that in two tjears time he will be the next Mayor. I want you ladies and gentlemen to push along the things | I ba.v© started. lam right out for the j ratepayers. I am not going to talk ! mucin. You are going to hear a lot from imo in the future. (Laughter.) J am ] fin fit to-day as T ever have been in Imy life. I aim not done for If you ! men and women, good, honest citizens, | reckon I have had a fair deal from the ! Press of this city. 1 disagree with you. i They have got down to the lowest * guiI ter-smi>o ’ business. f have said my say. There lias been an underground ! current going on- I thank you lor my self and Air.-. Thacker, than whom I j don’t think there lias been a better 1!M ayoross. I want you to back me up. J | \Ve want some independent strength in ] the council- I wish to shake hands with ! rav opponent if he is io the crowd. , (A voice: He is on the platfortn, where j | you ought to be.) j I Cheers, were then given for Dr { j Thacker and Airs Thacker. j

j Mr J. W. Beanland. speaking from j the platform, said that it had been a | hard tight, and he had done his best ( < The figures showed that what lie had j j done in. the past seven years on the ■ ! council had been appreciated.. The time j I would come when be would be bel’oi'e I 1 the citizens again as candidate for the Mayoralty, aud then he hoped to be | elected. ‘ (Applause.) He wished to j thank very sincerely all those- w ho had j voted for him. He would have another j try in two years. ■‘You have been very good to-day,” said Mr D. G. Sullivan* M.P.. after a ' great outburst of cheering- " f thank j you very sincerely for the great honour 1 fhat the citizens of my native city have i conferred upon me in placing me. so far as wo can see from the returns to . hand, at the bead of the poll for the first preference votes. In a democracy, one of the. greatest honours that the people, have in their power to confer on one of their citizens 13 that of electing him as one of their lawmakers, be : t on a municipal council or to Parliament. I am naturally disappointed that the party with which I am associated has not done better. (Cries of " "Where were your motor-cars?”) A great many working people did not go to the trouble of putting their names on the roll. 7 suggest that the men and women who believe in the principles of the Labour movement should recognise their obligations and pee that their names are on the roll. I thank | you gratefully for the honour conferred on me.” From the back of the crowd there was considerable interruption when Mr C. P. Agar began to speak. He said that he was proud of the city in which ho lived, and he was sure that the good judgment of the citizens could be trusted. The results showed that thev knew’ where their best interests lay. (Applause and uproar. ) He congratulated Mr Sullivan on the splendid victory he- had hack It had been a good fight, and he believed both sides would sty that it had been a. clean fight. (Cries of “Question!”) Both sides had been moved by an intense desire to I serve the city, and the electors had given, proof of their confidence in the policy of the Citizens' Association. (Cries of ‘‘We want butter!”) Mr Agar said that, as a representative of the Citizens’ Association, he would endeavour to serve both sides with the best of his ability. The Rev J. K. Archer said that he. wished to thank those who had voted tor him. particularly in connection with the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. He bad always thought the workers should ha,vo more adequate representation on that board. He regretted that more members of the Labour Par tv had not been returned to the Citv Council. A great many Labour support- ? r :\ made the mistake of not distributing their first proierence votes. 3lr H. T. Armstrong said that, though it Teas not quite certain that he barf been ejected, present indications pointed in that direction. TTe was extremely sorry that the T,ahniir Party had no) done better, hut the party did not desire to rule ru/ 1 - 1 ". *i majority of the people of Christchurch supported it- That was one of the reasons why (he partv wpvp m favour the proportional svstem of "rep rose nta 1 1 on H -, Win , sor Ported to his name on the board, when part of the crowd asked who he was. “ That’s me ” he said. “T taJce this as a great eomnli'TY j to tke -bofousb of Spreydon. U elected. I will he in a position as an Independent, to put it into both "sides, and T will do it.” I M, i C ' U Hcrvc r said that if the. I count resulted m his favour the inter ! ests of all classes would be looked niter Re thanked the -175 electors who lnd recorded their first preference vote, in : his favour. S Mr IS. s. M'Rennie had to wait a few minutes before lie got a hearing. Later on ho was counted out repeatedly and interrupted by calls and singing. lie said that ho stood before the "citizen!, as a colt, and one. that had never ..one down at a. fence. As an Independent he was tied to no party, and he would Bland again. Mrs Herbert said that she a pure- ! ciated very much the honour conferred ' on her bv ne-elect,ion to the Hospital j Board. She would endeavour to do her 1 best for all classes of the communitv. Mr TT. F. Herbert said that the two or three Independents on the council would endeavour to work for the city in the best possible manner. Ho thanked those who had siren him such a good voteOFFICIAL COUNT TQ*PAY, SCRUTINY OF ROLLS. I At nine o’clock this morning, in the- | Orange Hall, the Returning Officer. Mr A. Freeman, will commence the official scrutiny of the rolls. It will be complete in the afternoon, and it is probable that the first official count of the first preferences will bo gone on with. Mr Freeman does not hope to do more to-da,.v, but be will go on with subsequent counts to-morrow. SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES. 1 THE MAYOR. Dr IT. T. J. Thacker, M.P. has been Mayor of Christchurch since last election, when he succeeded Mr H. Holland in office. He has been in Parliament as the representative of Christchurch Eist since 197 4. Dr Thacker is a member of a well-known family oil Banks Peninsula. Ho graduated from Canterbury College as Bachelor of Arts, and took his diplomas as M. 8., and Ch.M. at Edinburgh University. He also gained a Fellowship in the Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin. THE NEW COUNCILLORS. Rev J. Ts. Archer was for some years a. member of the Invercargill Borough Council. He is tutor of economies under the Workers’ Educational Association, and a Minister of the Baptist Church. ffo stood as Labour candidate for Invercargill at the last general election. Mr W. H. Winsor held office as Mayor of Spreydon for a term of four vears, prior to which be snt on the council of the borough for three years. For six years he has been a. member of the Christchurch Domains Board, and > was for some time secretary to the Somerfield School Commmittee. Mr Winsor is a builder and contractor, and * is president of the Canterbury Allied I Building; Trades Association. Mr John It. Brunt was Mayor and I councillor in turn ol the. Lin wood Bor- | ougli Council for some years. He has

been chairman and member of the East Christchurch. School Committee for several years, and be has also taken a keen interest in friendly sooietv work, in connect,ion with which he has occupied official positions- He is honorary secretary of the Justices of the Peace Association. Mr Brunt is well-known in business circles, being one of the oldest members of the commercial staff of the Christchurch “ Press.” NOTES. A good many persons complained at various polling booths that their names had been struck off the roll, although they were, still qualified and had not changed their addresses, aud had voted at the last election. Their names were 1 taken for the purpose of inquiry, but there was no machinery by which they could record a, vote. In the majority of cases it was found that the applicant had. voted a.L the general election and not at the municipal election. There were 26,950 electors on the city roll yesterday, including 2308 who came into the city with the amalgama- | tion of Spreydon. HOSPITAL BOARD.

ELECTION OF CITY REPRESENTATTVES. Two candidate? have been elected id. | first preference* to the Hospital Board " —the Rev -T. K. Archer and Mrs A- E. j Herbert. The total number of votes polled was 13.343, and the quota neoea- j sary for election was 1866. There are] seven city seats on the board to he filled. The order of the. thirteen candi- j dates on first preferences is as fob j lows : - -

Details of the polling are published elsewhere. Parties are indicated as follows : —“ C.” Citizens, “ L ” Labour. “I.” Independent. HARBOUR BOARD. ELECTION OF CITY REPRESENTATIVES. Two of the seven candidates for the four city seats on the Lyttelton Ha t - hour Board have gained the necessary quota (2631) on first preferences. Mr H. Holland (Citizens' Association) has a margin of 1000 votes over Dr Thacker. the other elected candidate, who has 7.000 more votes than the next in order of first preference, Mr H. TArmstrong. The total number of votes polled was 13150. The order of the

candidates on first preferences J* ** follows: H, Holland (C.) - 3924 (elected) Hr H. T.l Thacker (T.) 2926 (elected) H. T. Armstrong (L) 1938 H. B Sorenson (C.) • 1556 E. J. Howard <L) - 1506 G. Scott (C l - . 559 H. Monro (O.) . . 641 COMBINED DISTRICTS. A poll was taken for the election of » member to represent the combined tricts of Ne.w Brighton, Sumner, Y\ ooVa ton, Lyttelton, Akaroa and the Counties of Akaaroa, Waixowa. and Mount Herbert. The figures, which are subject to revision, as as follow : F. G. Norton • * « 2329 T. H Harker . . . 2074 Majority f <yr Norton • 250

CITIZENS’ ASSOCIATION. Agar 1168 (elected) Flesher 936 (elected) Brunt 811 (elected) M’Kellar .181 Williams 555 Manhire . 481 Andrews 408 Marhin 336 Buchanan 323 Jameson . 178 Thompson 92 Total 5902 LABOUR. ?ulli-rao . 1880 (elected) Archer 999 (elecfed) Armstrong 699 M’ Combs 32 l Cooke . . 301 Hunter - 212 Renn 166 Wells 119 Bangley . 133 Butterfield 103 Total . 4966 INDEPENDENT. Winsor . 950 (elected) Herbert . 762 ITervev 490 Burgoyne 277 Congreve 275 Cooper 178 M Kpoaie 124 llutcliisou 117 Total 31 73 Whilst it is unwise to make any pre-

Hosoita l Ha r bo u i Council. Board. Board. p.cp.c. p.cCitizens . 4-2.03 30.28 ol.5o l.o hour . 33.30 22.(18 26.18 I n depend eat 22.of) 27.02 0*7 99

a ( 3 -a •-a o a • GE STTCAD. ** Provincial Cotmcxl 344. 222 Provincial Contact! 332 L8R 0 Act Gallery ..... au 139 3 Knox Church .U>fi 380 13 Madras and A b^w t ePT3 St*. . Meth. School. Shfunorft Rd. 371 ;iti 15ft and KtaUljaoie Roads PA Math. Sen., I' iiegerald Are. H7 Foresters .H.al! 227 Olbuso .13 all ‘>11 371 St .John s 3 53 Hibernian Ball 32ft Oddfellows' H *.! i . . » 82 ft 1 St Michael a ... 248 St Andrew s LIXWOOD. Salvation Ai'my, i-'fn.ffer»Id 117 - 1 Avenue ... 107 Inn-wood I.ibrarv Oddfellows’ Hail. Holies240 261 ° toox Street Gloucester Street' and 129 130 ~ Woodbam Road 01 Fleece's house, Rei#re<4 Rd. Limcood Avenue and Wor19 23 ceAt*?' Street 1 37 3 89 t Pumping- Station . /6ft 8ft 1 Levden Street Charles and Grafton St5. . ST A DBA NS. 48 3 29 13 C Lis so Id Street 13ft 7*3 Rugby Street. 174 167 6 Browns St. and Inoas Road 13 i 154 <► Dover Street Dibra*ry . S&lv&ti6n Army, (Jramford 3 02 131 Street- .... 135 9* Shirley Post Offi.ce Methodist School, hltciras 139 106 U Street. North . Congregational Chjfcrch, 185 3 22 3 Hill’s Road . Presbyterian Church, Ran 100 07 ~ cl ail Street 63, Fitzgerald Street .164 167 Donaldson a ahop . BTDBKHAM AND, SPRETDOX. Oddfellows’ Hall, OCud^n;. 191 • Street 86 1M 1 Baptist School. Lincoln I-?d. Methodist School, Kelwyn 70 8ft Street - Selwyn. Street and Crescent 112 183 3 Roan .... 248 Spreydou Council 74 t Beckenham Ha'A •389 362 6 Sydenham. Idbrjarr aoft 521 b Sydenham P.C V rooms 18.1. 527 1 Battersea Street 87 207 Palsgrave St’/c««t Wa lt ham H -ii! I 10R Waltham Lijbrarv ffi 396 Op»v» Park; - r»j 87 Church Rofed 82 53 — Fisher Street <31 M 4 Totals . *lnform?ii incomplete. ,246 7,675

T. E. Taylor . J>r Thacker C. Allison . 7 40 J . 4898 . 3698 1912H. Holland . < Dr Thacker . , J. J . D on sail . , 15,997 . 1127 . 2931 * 2637 1913. H- Holland Dr Thacker T. J. M'Bride 9695 . 7869 . 4115 - 3477 1911. FI. Holland . R M. Spiers . 15,461 . 7149 . 3840 1915. H. Holland Tl. M\ Spiers • H. B. Sorensen . 10,980 . 4591 - 3947 , 3634 1917. H Holland . J. H’^Combs 12.172 . 12,183 . 0.385 1919. Tlr Thacker . J. J. Oougall . J. M’Combs - 17,568 . 5948 _ 5747 . 2306 1931. T>r Thacker - . J. W. Beanland . 14.001 - 7675 . 7246 14,921 _ AT THE RESULT BOARD

J. K. Archer (PA . 2580 (elected) -Mrs A K Herbert <i.> 1958 (elected) TT n. 1550 D P. < Fenwick (C) 1300 T. T>. Boag (C.) . 13711 j FT •T. Ot.lev <CA - 1210 ! M rs C . M Green (C ) 1090 ! W K. F/cadley (!.') . 1070 AV h Cooper FT.A . 365 ■M rs S Page (P.) 323 ' Mrs P A . AT. Roberts <T 241 j m *s A1 di v Mat he son (L.) 154 H ‘rbert PangFord (C.> - 135