A SWEEPING VICTORY

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXIV, 2 May 1929, Page 5

A SWEEPING VICTORY

PROGRESSIVE PARTY SCORES DECISIVELY.

THE FULL TICKET ELECTED.

Public opinion expressed itself so decisively in favour of the Progressive Party platform yesterday that the whole nine members were elected to seats on the Borough Council.

According to the provisional count the following candidates have been returned for the Waimate Borough Council: — WYLIE, Thomas W 762 WALLACE, Forbes T 699 MACDONALD, Donald . . 651 KIRBY, Arthur John . . . . 621 LEWIS, Arthur E. . . . . . . 580 PAUL, William G 562 RICHARDSON, George F. 551 ROBINSON, Joseph B. . . 530 A TWILL, Joseph 476 The unsuccessful candidates were:— HUTT, Richard Wm 464 CORRIGAN, Michael Joseph 455 TWOMEY, Timothy .. . . 442 GIBSON, Thomas 356 A big crowd (estimated at about 300 people) collected outside the Borough Council Chambers last night to hear the result of yesterday’s poll. Many gathered about 7-30, and the full crowd was there by 8.45, but it was not till 9-30 that the Town Clerk (Mr W. A. Lee) proclaimed the voting figures. In spite of the long wait, the people became in no way restive. In fact, they were very quiet and patient. The poll announcement was received quietly at first, stray cries of “Good old Joe,” “Good old Mick,” “Good old Tommy” and “Good old Dick” only being heard. When the polling of Mr Forbes Wallace was given out there was a vociferous applause, but the announcement of Dr Wylie’s figures was the signal for an even greater outburst of applause THE SPEECHES. After the proclamation, the Mayor (Mr G. Dash) addressed the gathering. He first thanked them for his own unopposed return, which was the greatest vote of confidence which the town had ever given him. He would struggle hard in the future to deserve it.

Mr Dash also thanked electors heartily for returning the whole Progressive ticket. “We shall now set to work and endeavour to give you what was promised,” he said, and to do it without a lot of wrangling and bickering and to the credit of our town.”

Dr. Wylie, who was greeted with loud applause, thanked electors heartily for placing him at the top of the poll. He had been thirteenth on the voting paper, but apparently his position did not affect matters for he had been given the highest number of votes. He appreciated the confidence placed in him, and hoped he would not disappoint electors in his work as a Councillor.

“Though you have put in the whole ticket,” continued the doctor, “I hope you will find that at the '’ouneil table any matter that comes up for discussion will be discussed thoroughly and openly (Hear Hear). I have no intention of following blindly anybody’s lead, and I think yon will find that the other men intend to discuss things fully and properly, and carry oat the work of the Borough as it ought to be carried out.” Mr Forbes Wallace was also greeted with applause when he mounted the steps of the Borough Chambers to speak. In a jocular address, he thanked the electors for their support and endorsed Dr Wylie’s remarks. , Mr D. Maedonald, after thanking the electors, said he would do his best for Waimate as a Councillor. “I have nothing to make by standing for the Council,” he stated. “All one gets are kicks and knocks and I get enough of those already. I assure you I will do my best for Waimate. I thank you for your support and hope I will merit it ” Mr Kirby said he was in accord with the sentiments expressed by Dr Wylie. Because they were pledged to support the Mayor in six items of his programme, it in no .sense

meant that they were to follow every suggestion he made at the Council table. Dozens of questions would crop up in the coming term in which Councillors would have to use their own discretion. He hoped and trusted that Councillors would exercise that discretion. Mr Lewis said he trusted during the coming two years to be able to give honest service and to do his best to forward everything in the interests of the Borough. Mir Paul said he was as much surprised as any one that on the seventh occasion of standing he had oolled as well as he had. A new man always topned the poll, and as his terms of office increased his voting favour declined. He was in. almost the same position as at last election. To those who had voted against him, he bore no ill will, for they were perfectly within their rights, and he would serve them just , as well as he woul dserve those who i had voted for him. I Mr Richardson said he had hardly ■expected to be successful, but hav- | ing been elected he would do his best for all concerned as far as his views i went. If there was any difference it would not be of a personal nature. Besides thanking his supporters, he i thanked those who had voted against him, and said he bore them no ill j feeling. | Mr Robinson said it was the third I time he had been returned, but though jhe dropped one in the list of sue | cessful candidates he had reeeieved i 100 more votes than at the last • previous election. He took it that ■ up to the present he had given satlisfaction, and he trusted he would 'do likewise during the coming two (year. Mr Atwill said that though he was , the last of the successful candidates, he was not the least (Laughter). In the coming two years he would do as he had done before, that is, do his best for Waimate as a whole. Mr Hutt was greeted with applause He assured the gathering that, though defeated, he did not feel disgraced. He had always done his duty conscientiously. It was possible for a man to lose and yet to win. He was sure he had the respect of citizens. He trusted that the elected Council would do its work well. It had a lot to do. Mr Hutt, in conclusion, thanked all who had supported him. Mr Twomey also said that though defeated he was not disgraced. He might try again another time (Applause). Mr Corrigan, who is out of town, and Mr Gibson did not address the public. MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS ELSEWHERE. Dunedin—Four new Councillors were elected: S. L. Lawrence, H. L. Tapley, J. J. Marlow, F. Wilkinson (all Electoral Association nominees) Eight of the old Councillors were elected, D. Larnach being defeated. Of 12 Labour candidates, only J. W. Munro was returned. For Dunedin Hospital Board, the whole Labour ticket was defeated. All old members were re-elected, ex- , eept that Mrs Macdonald displaced D. Larnach. Wellington.—Twelve old members [ were re-elected to the Council, and ; three new ones, including Mr Wright, > ex-Mayor. Petone. —Labour Council thrown . out, being replaced by Civic’s ticket. Christchurch. —On the approxir mate figures available it appears 3 practically certain that the Citizens’ Association will have a majority on , the City Council The indications e are that when the preferences are t allocated there will be nine Citizens’ B Association Councillors, six Labour and one Independent.

HOSPITAL COMMITTEE ELECTION. i The sitting representatives of the Waimate Borough on the Waimate Hospital Committee (Messrs George Dash and R. H. White) were returned by a big majority at the election yesterday. The Friendly Societies’ candidates (Messrs R. W. Hutt and M. J. Corrigan) polled a little over 300 votes each, while the sitting representatives were favoured with over 500. Following are the figures:— DASH, George 595 WRITE, Richard II 549 CORRIGAN, Michael J. . . 337 HUTT, Richard W 330 The result was announced to the crowd outside the Borough Council Chambers last night after the candidates for the Borough Council had addressed the electors. Mr Dash came forward and said he should have been seriously disappointed if 1 he had not been returned to the Hospital Committee. There was a large 1 programme of work before the South Canterbury Hospital Board, and he had offered to bear a portion. The people had every reason to be proud of the Waimate Hospital, and he trusted that during the next two ' years the people would have no reason to be less proud. , Mr White said it would be his honest endeavour,to help forward the ' work of the Hospital in the future as in the past. NOTES AND COMMENTS. The total votes polled yesterday is 947, against 966 last election. 1 Yesterday there were only 29 informal votes, against 64 last election. Members of the old Council who stood for election yesterday were returned at the 1927 election by Cue following number of votes: —J. Atwill 488; R. W. Hutt 458; A. J. Kirby 584; A. E. Lewis 539, W. G. Paul 501, J. B. Robinson 466. When addressing the crowd in eon nection with his election to the Waimate Hospital Committee, Mr Dash said he wanted every man on the Council to vote for himself and discuss for himself, but not to vote against a thing because the Mayor brought it up. “1 thank those who voted against me. If there had been more I would have been in a better position,” said Mr G. F. Richardson, one of the successful candidates for the Borough Council, in addressing electors outside the Council Chambers last night. The dry humour was greeted with merry laughter.

Though the public had to wait till 9.30 last night for the announcement of the municipal poll results, the Returning Officer (Mr W. A. Lee) asserts that the deputy-returning officers and their poll clerks did very well to get out the results as soon as they did. The task of counting the votes was an arduous and tedious one, especially when there was a large number of candidates to be dealt with. “Since I have heard the results I have come to the conclusion that you have voted in order of the best looking men,” said Mr Forbes Wallace, who polled second highest for the Borough Council, when addressing electors last night. Mr D. Macdonald, who was third in public favour, threw doubt on the assertion. “I think I am better looking than Mr Wallace,’ he said, amid loud laughter. There was no hitch in connection with polling for the Waimate municipal elections yesterday. The fact may be attributed to the efficient supervision of the Returning Officer (Mr W. A. Lee) and the good work of the deputy returning officers and their poll clerks (Messrs L, J. Collins ami J. V. Trezise, IF. Akhurst. and M. J. Friel, P. Grant and A. I Williams, in charge of the Council election papers; and Messrs S. Malthus and W. A. Nelson, J. K. Clarke, | and F. Wilce, C. Dale and G. W. [Campbell, in charge of the hospital election papers). Mi - Lee states that great praise is due the booth officials for their work. [ MAYORAL ELECTIONS IN OTHER CENTRES. Auckland. —G. Baildon (sitting) ; 7539. T. Bloodworth (Labour) 6637. H. E. Vaile 5083. W. H. Murray 4274. j One small result to come | Wellington —G. A. Troup 14388. W. Nash 9027. | Christchurch —J. K. Archer (Labour) fc re-elected, 15479, W. Hayward (Citizens) 14920. | Dunedin —R. S. Black 5701. C. H. Hayward 4792. IF. J. Jones (Labour) 3811. J. McDonald 1321. Timaru —W. Angland 2140; P. C. Vinnell 1503; A. Lawrence Gee 1084.

It is rather interesting to note that there was a marked difference between the total number of votes polled for the Hospital Committee and the Borough Council by Messrs > M. J. Corrigan and R. W. Hutt. It seems that many who voted for the ■ two for the Borough Council, did not favour them with their votes for the Waimate Hospital Committee. The popular belief that number 13 is unlucky should receive a setback as a result of the Borough poll. Dr. T. W. Wylie, who figured thirteenth on the voting paper, proved his popularity by coming out at the head of the Councillors returned, with a total of 762 votes! Best of all, it is probable that it is a record poll for a single candidate in Borough elections. What price the superstition now ? The Returning Officer (Mr W. A. Lee) was kept busy yesterday supervising the serious booths and taking declaration votes The taking of declaration yotes requires a considerable amount <>f time, and because of this the Returning Officer has taken it ever from his deputies as it only hinders the latter in attending to electors. Those who vote by declaration are those whose names are not on the Borough roll either because of their neglect to ascertain that their names are on the roll (ample opportunity is given), because they came of age after the roll had been printed, or because they did not become eligible to vote (by three months’ residence in the Borough) till after the roll had been printed. There were 36 declaration votes east yesterday.