Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954), Monday 29 April 1940, page 1


RECORD MAJORITY TO MR. CHANDLER: ? C.M.O. WINS 14 SEATS'

POUNT1NG in the Brisbane City Council election was continued yesterday. On last night's figures Citizens' Municipal Organisation is likely to have 14 of the 21 seats in the new Council. The Labour Party will have only seven against 12 in the old Council.

Mr. J. ». Chandler has won the Lord Mayoralty by an atl-rime record majority of 45,927, over the retiring Lord Mayor (Aid. A. J. Jones, Lab.) .

In a field of five candidates, three of whom forfeited their deposits,., he had an absolute majority of 27,831, at the end of last night's counting. He was still 'increasing his lead with the addition of absent and postal votes, most of which have still to be counted. Votes from military camps and air force depots also have to be added. Votes counted for Mr. Chandler up to last night totalled 105,341, compared with the previous record of 92,930 cast for Aid. Jones in .the Majoral election of 1937. ? The Lord Mayor (Aid. Jones) was defeated heavily in every one of the 20 wards. Even in Brisbane he was nearly 2000 behind Mr. Chandler, and in Valley Mr. Chandler had a 1300 lead. Voting against Aid. Jones for Lord Mayor was much stronger than the aggregate advantage of C.M.O. candidates . over Labour nominees in the election of aldermen. The sweeping defeat of the Labour council returned most of the new aldermen with clear majorities. Ten C.M.O. members had absolute majorities, No Labour candidate won outright. COUNCILS COMPARED On last night's latest figures it appeared that the state of the new council compared with the old would oe:— Old Council, New Council. C.M.O. 7 14 Lab. 12 7 P.L.P. 1 P.P. 1 . -It appeared last night that Kelvin 3rove seat, which had been doubtful )n Saturday night, would be won by :he C.M.O. candidate, Mr. R. S. jriffiths. He had a lead of 315 over ;he Labour nominee, Mr. J. J. Ryan, vho Is not likely to improve his position, on the counting of preferences :rom the Protestant Labour and Pro;estant Party candidates. Kelvin 3rove had been held by Aid. W. J. 3raham (Labour) , who ' did not con;est the electidn because of illness. His ;on — Mr. E. H. Graham — contested the election as Protestant Labour nominee, and polled strongly. Wynnum, also doubtful on Saturday night, now appears to have been won by the Citizens' Municipal Organisation candidate, Mr. W. R. N. Howard, who has a majority of 924 over the Labour candidate, Mr. W. Lockwood. Aid. S. Green is third among five candidates, but so far has polled only half the number of votes cast for Mr. Howard. DOUBTFUL SEATS Nundah and South Brisbane remain the two most doubtful wards. In Nundah, Aid. W J. Green, chairman of the old council health committee, had a lead of 116 last night, but it appeared that the preferences for the Protestant 'Labour candidate. Mr. E. P. Ritter, were so strongly against Aid. Green that he was likely to lose the seat. Aid. W. C. Coutts (Lab.) was leading last night by 188 votes from Mr. D. ,S. Rowley (CM.O.) in the South Brisbane contest. Although preferences were likely to go against him, it appeared that he would be able to win this seat by a narrow margin. K. K. Gerrand, '288 Queen Strret, Brisbane. First Meeting — Page 3 ; Voting Details — Page 6