Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 22 March 1913
Conisboro’ Parish Meeting
A Rush of Candidates
Big Labour Success
A Poll Demanded
Those who anticipated that the traditions of Conisboro’ Parish meetings would be preserved in their entirety on Monday when the triennial gathering was held in the Station Road Schools were somewhat disappointed. There was fun and there was excitement, but none of the wild uproariousness which has characterised some of the parochial elections which have been held in this lively storm-centre.
One can scarcely enthuse over an eternal wrangle doomed to inevitability from the outset, and parochial elections which arouse any competition and controversy at all are rapidly being reduced to a farce, for the show of hands is almost inevitably followed by a demand from the five parochial electors who are always forthcoming for a poll.
Notable Absentees
This circumstance did not, however, entirely destroy the interest in the Conisboro’ election, and the Station Road Schoolroom was well filled by quite an orderly and intelligent assembly of electors.
In places like Conisboro’ where it is possible to assemble a large and unwieldy body of electors, the show of hands is at best a clumsy and inefficient method of election, for the tellers employed for the counting of votes have no check to guarantee that all who are voting are entitled to vote, and that they are not using more votes than they are entitled to use.
Notable absentees from the meeting were Mr. Henry Baker and Mr. Arthur Moody. Both were candidates for election. The former has made parochial matters hum in the parish in times past, and though he was knocked off the Parish Council three years ago, he has served on the Rural Council and Board of Guardians for quite a lengthy spell.
By some extraordinary oversight, he, with other prominent gentlemen in the parish and the adjacent parish of Denaby, notably, Mr. Caleb Kilner and Mr. John Sear, are left off the burgess list this year, and so are deprived of their vote.
Labour Successes
Mr. Moody is a retiring Parish Councillor, and is also a candidate for the higher honours at Doncaster. The Labour element has been busy and energetic in this matter of the Conisboro’ parish election this year. Eight official Labour candidates took their place in the list of 26 candidates for thirteen seats.
They were Messrs. E. Broke, J. Hill, J. Hagar, J. Inman, G. Starr, W. Tyas, S. C. Teren, and their claims were energetically canvassed for a week prior to the election. They are nominees of the miners’ and gas stokers’ unions, and their candidature was supported by the Mexboro’ and District Trades and Labour Council.
They ran extremely well in the voting, and if the election had been allowed to stand, they would have secured a majority of the council, for seven out of the eight were returned, and only Mr. Doran failed.
An Independent Chairman
At the outset, the chairman of the Parish Council, Mr. H. L. Sutherland, asked Messrs. McKeown and Mr. M. F. Knowles was at once nominated. Of course there had to be opposition, and the name of Mr. J. Marshall was flung from another quarter of the room.
Mr. Marshall, however, modestly withdrew, and Mr. Knowles’s proposal to the chair was left unopposed. Mr. Knowles, on taking the chair, said he was very pleased to see such a large attendance. It augured very well, he thought, for the interest which was taken in public affairs by the electors of Conisboro’.
He was sorry that there were no ladies present, and thought that that was not a very good sign of the eagerness of the ladies for the vote.
The Election
Here the meeting began to show signs of restlessness. It obviously wanted to come to business, and so the names of the 26 nominated candidates were read out without further ado, and were posted upon blackboards provided for the purpose.
Messrs. W. Ellis, C. Keys and Eadall were appointed tellers, and the voting proceeded at once to the election, which occupied about half an hour, the following being the returns:—
Elected:
Sylvester Charles Birch, 62; Ellis Brooke, 58; George Durr, 56; Harry Lawton Smethurst, 56; Walter Tyas, 54; Thomas Hill, 47; William W. Norwood, 42; William Appleyard, 41; Charles Bashforth, 41; Ralph Williamson, 39; Thomas Newall Jagger, 38; William Henry Jones, 35; Arthur Moody, 34.
Not Elected:
Vincent Roe, 34; William Barker Wells, 31; Reginald Toughdon, 29; Thomas Rogerson Booth, 28; George Gregory, 28; George Frederick Jacobs, 27; John Doran, 25; Henry Baker, 23; William Harrison Barwell, 20; William Henry Shacklock, 19; Edward Hunnam, 18; William Isaac Gibbs, 15; James Marriott Higgs, 13.
Six New Councillors
Had the returns been allowed to stand, the constitution of the Council would have been altered to the extent of six members. Messrs. Hulme, Hirst, Bridges and Sykes did not seek re-election, and Messrs. V. Roe and W. I. Gibbs were defeated.
The retiring Councillors who were re-elected were: Messrs. Smethurst (chairman), Teren, Brooke, Norwood, Appleyard, Williamson and Moody, and the six vacancies were therefore filled by Messrs. Starr, Tyas, Hill, Bashforth, Hagar and Jones, all with the exception of the last named, Labour candidates.
However, no sooner as the Chairman inquired into the merits as it was at the option of five parochial electors to demand a poll, and that in numbers would be given to the consideration of the question, Mr. Fred Robinson at once got up and demanded that a poll be taken. Mr. Harold Moody supported this demand.
A Poll Demanded
At this point Mr. T. R. Sellars got up to protest against a poll being taken.
“I look at this list of returned men,” he said, “and I am very doubtful whether the ratepayers will receive adequate satisfaction for the cost of the poll. There are here seven Labour men—”
This was as far as Mr. Sellars was allowed to go. There were cries of “Sit thee down,” “Tak time off,” “We shall speak,” and the like.
Mr. Sellars persisted, “I have the honour of being the chairman,” he said. But it was no use. Mr. Hill the Clerk informs me,” said the Chairman, “that Mr. Sellars is out of order,” and at that there was much cheering.
Someone got up and said that Mr. Sellars was not satisfied with the working men why did not he become a working man, instead of throwing skits at them?
The Chairman said he did not think Mr. Sellars intended to do anything of the kind.
When Mr. Percy Moody got up to say that he also was in favour of the ballot-box, there were cries of “He’s got no vote,” but Mr. Moody appealed triumphantly to Mr. Jesse Hill, and it was discovered that he was properly qualified to make the demand.
Then a Mr. Kelly got up to say that before the ratepayers were put to the expense of an election, he should move that the returns stand as recorded.
Mr. Sellars: “This gentleman shouldn’t speak because I was not permitted a word of it.”
Mr. Kelly was informed that he was out of order, and the Chairman announced that that “according to business” it he meeting.
At the same time he expressed himself much obliged to them for their extraordinary good behaviour.
With a vote of thanks to the Chairman, a very good-humoured and orderly assembly broke up.
The poll will be taken on April 9th.