SIXTEENTH SEAT.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 752, 4 May 1933, Page 11

SIXTEENTH SEAT.

Dr Thacker Has Chance of Election. INTERESTING POSSIBILITY. While it is practically certain on the first preference votes for the election •of councillors, there will be seven Labour and six Citizens’ Association nominees returned, together with Messrs F. T. Evans (Independent) and A. E. Armstrong (Socialist), there is room for considerable speculation as to the allocation of the sixteenth seat. Unless Labour secures this seat it will not have absolute control of the council, but will be dependent on the somewhat uncertain support of Messrs Armstrong and Evans. On present indications it does not seem likely that Labour will win eight seats, though in an election conducted on the proportional representation system there is no certainty as to how the second and subsequent preferences are allocated. Dr Thacker (Independent), who was the runner-up two years ago, has an excellent chance of securing election, but should he again fail* it seems probable that the sixteenth seat will go to the Citizens’ Association, bringing its i strength up to seven. Yesterday Dr Thacker polled 594 first preference votes, as against 434 two years ago. This increase of 160 votes should help him considerably in the count, especially as he cannot reckon on receiving as many votes on transfer from Mr Archer as he did two years ago, on account of Mr Archer’s surplus being much smaller. Another factor that will help Dr Thacker is the large number of Independents, most of whom seem likely to be eliminated comparatively early in the count, with a fcood proportion of their second preferences going to Dr Thacker.

An Uphill Fight. It is interesting to recall that two vears ago the bulk of the votes transferred to Dr Thacker came from Labour candidates, but he was handicapped through not having any party allegiance. Of Mr Archer’s huge surplus of 7133 votes Dr Thacker received 227, and he obtained another batch of 127 on transfer from Mr J. At that stage of the count he appeared to be certain of election, but the rest of the journey proved an uphill fight and he was unable to make the distance.

When Dr Thacker was previously a member of the council he held the key position and throughout his term he gave his support to the Labour side, enabling it to hold the reins of office. Should he be elected on this occasion it is probable that he will adopt a similar attitude.

Mr J. N. Du Feu (Citizens’ Association), a former member of the council, who is in fourteenth position on the count of first preference votes, seems likely to secure election in the event of Dr Thacker being unsuccessful. He is in a good position on the voting paper to receive transfers of votes from other candidates, and with the elimination of other Citizens’ Association nominees and the transfer of the surpluses of those elected he should obtain a good many additional votes. It is also Kkely that a number of votes from Independent candidates will be transferred to Citizens’ Association nominees, Mr Du Feu receiving his share of them. The Citizens’ Association candidates who appear to be certain of election are Messrs E. H. Andrews, J. W. Beanland, M. E. Lyons, W. Hayward, T. Milliken and W. S. Mac Gibbon. It is worthy of note .however, that in 1931 Mr Mac Gibbon received 526 first preferences and yet failed to secure election.

Labour Certainties. Labour candidates who are certain to be elected are the Rev J. K. Archer, Mrs E. R. M’Combs, Mr J. Mathison, Miss M. B. Howard and Mr J. S. Barnett. Mr Barnett has received only 397 first preference votes and is eighteenth in the list, but he should obtain nearly enough votes from Mr Archer’s surplus to secure election. Mr E. Parlane, with 458 first preference votes, is fifteenth on the list, and he also should reach the quota. Mr T. H. Butterfield, with 363 first preferences, appears to have a better prospect of election than either Mr A. Tongue (432) or Mr G. T. Thurston (369), for the reason that he has an alphabetical advantage. In 1931 Mr Butterfield received 331 votes from Mr Archer’s surplus, and Mr Thurston only 122, and he also received a much larger share of the distribution of Mr M’Combs’s surplus. (Results of polling appear on page 16.) MARLBOROUGH POLLS. Per Press Association. BLENHEIM, May 4. For the Blenheim mayoralty, Mr M. M’Kenzie was re-elected unopposed. At Picton, Mr G. J. Riddell defeated the sitting Mayor, Mr J. L. Jones.