SURVEY OF POLLING IN MARTON BOROUGH AND RANGTTIKI COUNTY

Wanganui Chronicle, 20 November 1950, Page 2

SURVEY OF POLLING IN MARTON BOROUGH AND RANGTTIKI COUNTY

MARTON, Last Night (OC) The defeat of both the Mayor of Marton (Mr T. E. Barton) and the chairman of the Rangitikei CountyCouncil (Mr K. W. Dalrymple) in the Rangitoto Riding, were features of the local body elections in the Rangitikei district yesterday.— Besides being defeated on the mayoral issue, Mr Barton also lost his seat on the Wanganui Hospital Board, the new member being Mr E. C. Fogelberg (Marton). Marton's new Mayor will be Mr W. Meads, a retired fanner, who had con- ‘ siderable local body experience in the ’ King Country area before coming to live in Marton about two years ago. He was elected to the council at a byelection held in November, 1949, and is a member of the works committee. It is expected that the new council will hold its first meeting on Wednesday, November 29, providing the recount has been completed. Both at the polling booths at Marton and Marton Junction, Mr Barton, ’ who has been Mayor of the town since ! being elected unopposed in 1948, suf- ’ fered defeat. Mr Barton, at Marton, polled 421 votes to Mr Meads’ 508 and at Marton Junction 82 to 142, giving Mr Meads a majority of 147. Thanking the residents for their support last night, Mr Meads said he would do his best for the town. "I feel it is an honour to be elected mayor, and I will not let you down,’ sand Mr Meads. He stated he was not going to bo a dictator and would expect all councillors to voice their opinions and do their best for Mar- ’ ton. This was the first election held since 1 the re-arrangement of seats on the ’ Wanganui Hospital Board, whereby I cne representative is elected for the 1 combined towns of Marton, Bulls and ' Hunterville. The sitting member, Mr Barton, Was overwhelmingly defeated at Marton, but he topped the poll at both Bulls and Hunterville. There is no denying the fact that the Marton hospital issue played a large part in Mr Barton’s defeat,, as there has been a strong body of opinion that he has not altogether prosecuted the project as vigorously as residents would have liked. Mr Fogelberg’s majority was 1 493. The voting for the Hospital - Board at the four booths was: Mr I Barton, 262 (at Marton), 42 (Marton Junction); 111 (Bulls); 32 Hunterville. Mr Fogelberg, 633 (Marton); 184 (Marton Junction); 86 (Bulls); 12 (Hunterville). With 68 informal, declaration and j postal votes yet to be taken into ac- . count, only one councillor, Mr W. J. Mogridge, has so far lost his seat, although there is a possibility that another sitting member, Mr J. Caithness, may be ousted by Mr G. B. Benseman, the first of the unsuccessful candidates, the former having a lead of only three votes. Mr Fogelberg easily topped the poll, with the deputymayor, Mr J. R. Howard, filling second nlace. A new candidate, Mr M. McConachie, surprised somewhat by . polling over 800 votes to fill third posi- - tion. , Despite a wet day the poll was a comparatively heavy one in the borough, no less than 1227 electors exercising their votes out of a roll of 2478. At the by-election last year only 703 voted. There was no election for the council in 1947. COUNTY RESULTS. The defeat of Mr Dalrymple by Mr Friedrich ends another chapter in the history of the Rangitikei County. Mr Dalrymple has been a member of the council for 39 years, except for a break of four years from 1916 due to war service. He was first elected to the council in 1911, and has been chairman since 1929. Mr Friedrich, who beat him, is making his debut in - 4eeal body affairs. Mr Friedrich's majority was 83, the only booth in which Mr Dalrymple showed a majority was at Parawanul, his home town, where he polled 37 votes to Mr Friedrich’s 24. Result:, from other booths were, Mr Dalrymple’s votes being mentioned first: Marton 12, 36; Crofton, 7, 33; Greatford, 7, 37; Bulls, 99, 115. One of the first duties of the council will be to elect a chairman, and it is expected that the deputy-chair-man, Mr V. Smith (Taihape) will fill the vacancy. With only one result to come in, it appeared that the sitting member for the Otakapu Riding, Mr O. 13. Hawker would be defeated, his opponent, Mt W. C. Whittington, holding a lead of over 50. However, Whangaehu residents voted solidly f”r Mr Hawken, (where he had an overwhelming mal ioritv of 95 to only five, giving him a I total majority of 36. As there are still eq dee’avat'on and 19 postal votes, o (total of 54 to count, the result coul't be altered, although it is doubtful. Results from other booths were, Mr Hawken's figures being given first’ Marton, 17. 42; South Mnk-trikiri, 13, ■ 86: Tur'ilcnn, 117. 123. CATCHMENT BOARD. Interest in the Rangitikei Catch-

ment Board election was mairjy focused on how the “suicide” member, Mr ' A. K. Scott, fared. Mr Scott was prevailed upon to accept nomination io vote for the abolition of the board. Of the four candidates who nominated j I for the three county seats, Mr Scott ' was de’eated. However, he polled i rather well, gaining 992 votes. He topped the poll at Whangaehu, Tutae- , nui, Makokau, Pukeron, Rapanui, and _ Mangnonoho. A. D. Mair, E. H. , Simpson and Scott, each with 16 votes, .. shared top place at Okirae, f Both the £50.000 bridge loan and the . change in the rating system from capital value to unimproved value were overwhelmingly sanctioned by the ’ rat prayers. , Of the 32 booths in the county. ( every one supported the bridge loan Proposal. There were only two booths which did not favour the unimproved rating system being adopted. These were Pukeokahu (16 for, 24 against) and Moawhang" (6 for. 27 ' against). At Mengaweka 16 voted for the proposal ,-nd 16 against, while at Parewanui there was a dlff«»«nce of - only one —26 to 25.