Mexborough and Swinton Times January 31st 1936
Checkweigh Fund – Ballot Protest
A meeting of the Denaby Main Colliery Checkweigh Fund was held at the Reresby Arms hotel on Sunday for the purpose of confirming the recent election of Mr Samuel Stubbs, of Mexborough, as checkweigh man in succession to the late Mr G.A.Chadfield.
Before the meeting began the members stood in silence in sympathetic memory for King George
The meeting was private, but at the close the secretary, Mr E MacFarlane, informed the “times” that a letter had been received from Mr Arthur Roberts protesting against the result of the election.
Mr Roberts, who led the 1st two eliminating ballots, but was defeated in the final ballot by 12 votes, in a total of 854 votes, based his objection, Mr Macfarlane said, on the grounds that the words “non-member of the Y.M.A.” were placed after his name on the ballot paper. That alleged differential treatment, he claimed, made the ballot invalid.
Mr McFarlane stated that the meeting had confirmed Mr Stubbs election. “The Checkweigh Fund Committee,” added Mr Macfarlane, “were quite entitled to add any descriptions after candidate’s names in such elections. That power was given them by resolutions passed by the members long before this particular election. The description of nonmember of the Y.M.A.was not confined solely to Mr Robert. Another candidate was similar described while a third candidate, was described as an un-financial member of the Y.M.A.