1949 Lower Hutt mayoral by-election

The 1949 Lower Hutt mayoral by-election was held to elect a successor to Ernst Peterson Hay who resigned as Mayor of Lower Hutt upon his appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

1949 Lower Hutt mayoral by-election
2 March 1949
Turnout8,822 (38.35%)
 
Candidate William Gregory Harry Horlor
Party Citizens' Labour
Popular vote 4,437 4,345
Percentage 50.29 49.26
Mayor before election

Ernst Peterson Hay

 Elected Mayor

William Gregory

Background

Mayor Ernst Peterson Hay had been appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court of New Zealand and after joining the judiciary he resigned as mayor on 20 January 1949 triggering a by-election.[1] Citizens' Association councillor, and deputy mayor since 1947, William Gregory was elected to replace Hay, opposed only by councillor Henry Valentine "Harry" Horlor of the Labour Party, who had contested the mayoralty once before in 1941.[2]

Results
1949 Lower Hutt mayoral by-election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Citizens' William Gregory 4,437 50.29
Labour Harry Horlor 4,345 49.26
Informal votes 40 0.45 -0.10
Majority 92 1.04
Turnout 8,822 38.35 -10.69

Results by locality

Following table shows the detailed ballot results by the local polling booths:[3]

LocalityGregory (Citizens')Horlor (Labour)
Votes %Votes %
R.S.A. Clubrooms37264.6920335.31
Taita North School3825.6711074.33
Taita Central5018.2424481.76
Gordon St. Hall13969.846030.16
Baptist Hall16734.9331165.07
Waddington School3017.7613982.24
Seddon St.10023.4832676.52
Knox Hall49162.6229337.38
Epuni School21944.6927155.31
Birch St. YMCA28158.0520341.95
Waterloo School31153.7126846.29
Horticultural Hall1,13266.1657933.84
St Stephen's Hall20631.9943868.01
Waiwhetu School18945.7622454.24
Gracefield School7223.1623976.84
Hutt Central School46359.1332040.87
Congregational Hall17760.2011739.80
Total4,43750.294,34549.26

Gregory was sworn in as mayor on 14 March at the first council meeting after the election. His first act was to nominate a successor to himself as deputy mayor. He nominated Eric Rothwell while Horlor nominated councillor Bella Logie, arguing that the role of deputy should go to a councillor of widespread appeal citing that Logie had polled third highest at the previous council election while Rothwell had polled eighth. Gregory disagreed and was disappointed that the council would not acclaim his nomination unanimously. A secret ballot was conducted by council members which resulted in a tie. Gregory used his casting vote for Rothwell.[4]

Council by-election

As Gregory was a councillor at the time of his election he had to resign his council seat upon being sworn in as mayor at the first council meeting after the election. This triggered a second by-election for one council seat. The chairman of the Citizens' Association, Charles Hain, wrote to the Hutt Labour Representation Committee with a proposal to settle together on a suitable candidate and avoid a further election. After receiving no reply after 11 days the Citizens' Association nominated former councillor Herbert Frederick Muir for the vacancy.[5] The Labour Party nominated Wellington Education Board and Petone and Lower Hutt Gas Board member James McDonald, who had stood for the city council in 1944, as its candidate.[6]

The following table gives the election results:

1949 Lower Hutt City Council by-election[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour James McDonald 2,262 50.88
Citizens' Herbert Muir 2,168 48.77 -0.85
Informal votes 16 0.35
Majority 94 2.11
Turnout 4,446 19.33 -29.71

Notes
  1. McGill 1991, pp. 212.
  2. "Hutt Mayoralty - Mr. Gregory Elected". The Evening Post. 3 March 1949. p. 8.
  3. "Slight Reduction in Majority for Mr. W. C. Gregory". The Dominion. 4 March 1949. p. 6.
  4. "Deputy-Mayor by Casting Vote". The Evening Post. 15 March 1949. p. 5.
  5. "Coming Election". Hutt News. 23 March 1949. p. 7.
  6. "Council Election - Labour Candidate". Hutt News. 30 March 1949. p. 7.
  7. "Council by-election - Mr. J. McDonald elected". Hutt News. 20 April 1949. p. 7.

References
  • McGill, David (1991). Lower Hutt - The First Garden City. Petone, New Zealand: Lower Hutt City Council. ISBN 1-86956-003-5.
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