1938 Christchurch mayoral election

October 2019 October 2019 1938 Christchurch mayoral election New Zealand Christchurch COA pre-1949.jpg Presidential no 1936 Christchurch mayoral by-election 1936 1941 Christchurch mayoral election 1941 36,116 11 May 1938 140x120px Robert Macfarlane New Zealand Labour Party 18,698 51.77 100px John Guthrie Christchurch Citizens' Association 17,418 48.23 Mayor John Beanland Christchurch Citizens' Association Robert Macfarlane Labour The 1938 Christchurch City mayoral election was held on 11 May. The incumbent, John Beanland of the Citizens' Association, failed to get the nomination by his party and the surgeon Dr. John Guthrie was nominated instead. The Labour Party nominated Robert Macfarlane. Both the Labour and conservative candidate had been members of Christchurch City Council for some years. Macfarlane narrowly won the mayoralty. Background The 1935 Christchurch mayoral election had been won by Dan Sullivan of the Labour Party; he had been mayor since 1931. The Labour Party subsequently won the November 1935 general election and Sullivan was appointed cabinet minister. Sullivan reluctantly resigned from the mayoralty in February 1936, as the heavy workload of a cabinet minister was incompatible with remaining mayor.Watson James 4s55 Sullivan, Daniel Giles 21 October 2019By-Elections for Council http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP19351204.2.50 The Press LXXI 21647 4 December 1935 10 21 October 2019 The resulting by-election in March 1936 was won by building contractor John Beanland of the Citizens' Association. His main challenger had been Rev John Archer, who had previously been mayor from 1925 until 1931. An independent Labour candidate, Edward Leslie Hills, received less than 2% of the vote in that by-election.The By-Election http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP19360312.2.84 21 October 2019 The Press LXXII 21730 12 March 1936 12The Municipal By-Elections http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP19360311.2.86 21 October 2019 The Press LXXII 21729 11 March 1936 12 Candidates John Guthrie On 18 March 1938, the Citizens' Association held its nomination meeting. Dr. John Guthrie was chosen in favour of the incumbent mayor, John Beanland, who accepted nomination to the city council instead.The Municipal Elections https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19380319.2.89 The Press LXXIV 22355 19 March 1938 16 21 October 2019General News https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19380412.2.48 21 October 2019 The Press LXXIV 22375 12 April 1938 10 Guthrie was born in Akaroa in 1877 as the son of a surgeon, also named John Guthrie. He received his education in Christchurch, first at Cathedral Grammar School, then at Christchurch Boys' High School, followed by Canterbury University College. Guthrie junior completed his medical education at the University of Glasgow where his father had also trained.79910 John Guthrie 21 October 2019Who's Who in New Zealand and the Western Pacific, 1941 Scholefield Guy Guy Scholefield 1941 4th L.T. Watkins 167 Masterton Guthrie Jr was a captain with the Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps in 1918/19 during World War I. Prior to the war, he had a general practice in Lyttelton from 1907 and was honorary surgeon at Christchurch Hospital from 1915. Since the war, he was a consulting surgeon in Christchurch. Guthrie had previously been on the Lyttelton Borough Council and had won election to Christchurch City Council in 1935. http://www1.ccc.govt.nz/handbook/councillorsofthecityofchristchurch.asp https://web.archive.org/web/20110720010657/http://www1.ccc.govt.nz/handbook/councillorsofthecityofchristchurch.asp 20 July 2011 Councillors of the City of Christchurch Christchurch City Council 21 October 2019 Christchurch Guthrie was a member of the Canterbury College Council. In the arts, he was involved with the Canterbury Society of Arts and the Royal Christchurch Musical Society (now known as the Christchurch City Choir). He played tennis and golf and was at one point president of the United Tennis Club (now known as the Hagley Park Tennis Club). Robert Macfarlane The Labour Party went through a lengthy nomination process. At the end of January 1938, it was revealed that various organisations affiliated to Labour had put forward six potential candidates: Rev John Archer, John Septimus Barnett, Terry McCombs, Robert Macfarlane, George Manning, and John Mathison.Candidates for Ballot https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19380128.2.117 21 October 2019 The Press LXXIV 22312 28 January 1938 14 Of those, Macfarlane, Barnett, and McCombs contested the Labour Party selection, where Macfarlane was chosen by secret ballot.The Municipal Elections: Mr Macfarlane for Mayoralty https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19380225.2.68 21 October 2019 The Press LXXIV 22336 25 February 1938 12 At the same meeting, candidates for six Christchurch general electorates were confirmed, with Macfarlane chosen to contest the Christchurch North electorate in the 1938 general election.Candidates endorsed: Six parliamentary seats https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19380225.2.65 21 October 2019 The Press LXXIV 22336 25 February 1938 12 Macfarlane was born in Christchurch in 1900. Raised by his grandmother, he attended Waltham School and may have had two years of high school. He worked in various labour job. In 1918, he joined the Christchurch Socialist Party and became its president shortly after. In 1919, he joined the Christchurch South branch of the Labour Party. When the Christchurch East branch of the Labour Party was founding in 1922, Macfarlane became its inaugural secretary. In 1925, he became secretary of the North Canterbury Labour Representation Committee; a role he still held in 1938.Clark Kath 4m10 Macfarlane, Robert Mafeking 22 October 2019 He was first elected onto Christchurch City Council in 1927 but failed to get re-elected in 1929. In the 1935 general election, he stood in the Christchurch North electorate and got narrowly beaten by Sidney Holland. He regained a seat on Christchurch City Council in a by-election in 1936. Results The election was held on Wednesday, 11 May 1938, from 9am to 7pm. The first-past-the-post voting system was used. There were 18 polling booths in Christchurch Central, 19 polling booths across Linwood and Woolston, 23 polling booths across St Albans and Papanui, 33 polling booths across Sydenham and Spreydon, and 1 polling booth in Lyttelton; a total of 94 booths.Poll to be held to-day https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19380511.2.103 23 October 2019 The Press LXXIV 22398 11 May 1938 12Christchurch City Council https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19380429.2.143.6 23 October 2019 The Press LXXIV 22388 29 April 1938 21Christchurch City Council https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19380429.2.143.7 23 October 2019 The Press LXXIV 22388 29 April 1938 21 Macfarlane won the mayoral election over Guthrie.Local body elections: Mr R. M. Macfarlane wins mayoralty https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19380512.2.75 23 October 2019 The Press LXXIV 22399 12 May 1938 18 There were four different bodies elected that day. Apart from the mayoralty people voted for 16 city councillors (33 candidates), 9 hospital board representatives (18 candidates), and 4 Lyttelton Harbour Board representatives (8 candidates). On the city council, the Citizens' Association had held a majority (11 of 16 seats) but this was reversed by the Labour Party, which won 10 of the seats. Mayoral election results 1938 Christchurch mayoral election New Zealand Labour Party Robert Macfarlane 18,698 51.77 Citizens' #DDEEFF John Guthrie 17,418 48.23 1,280 3.54 36,116 City councillor election results 1938 Christchurch City Council electionChristchurch City Council https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19380517.2.131.4 16 February 2020 The Press LXXIV 22403 17 May 1938 20 New Zealand Labour Party Jack Barnett 20,762 57.48 +13.92 New Zealand Labour Party George Manning 20,421 56.54 +7.86 New Zealand Labour Party Edward Parlane 20,263 56.10 +11.29 Christchurch Citizens' Association Hugh Acland 18,471 51.14 -1.05 New Zealand Labour Party Harold Denton 18,350 50.80 +16.22 New Zealand Labour Party Mabel Howard 18,212 50.42 +10.56 New Zealand Labour Party John David Carey 17,667 48.91 +14.69 New Zealand Labour Party Thomas Nuttall 17,614 48.77 New Zealand Labour Party John Edward Jones 17,177 47.56 Christchurch Citizens' Association Ernest Andrews 16,895 46.77 -2.74 New Zealand Labour Party Ernest Alan Sharp 16,861 46.68 Christchurch Citizens' Association Alfred Charles Sandston 16,773 46.44 -1.96 Christchurch Citizens' Association Melville Lyons 16,411 45.43 -5.60 Christchurch Citizens' Association Thomas Milliken 16,404 45.42 +1.35 Christchurch Citizens' Association John Beanland 16,248 44.99 -8.88 New Zealand Labour Party Frank George Thomas 16,246 44.98 New Zealand Labour Party Reg Jones 16,245 44.97 New Zealand Labour Party Harold Ernest Fenton 16,200 44.85 New Zealand Labour Party Frederick Michael Robson 15,920 44.08 Christchurch Citizens' Association Frank Driessen Sargent 15,694 43.45 +0.77 Christchurch Citizens' Association Bill MacGibbon 15,486 42.87 -0.43 New Zealand Labour Party Arthur Henry Scales 15,480 42.86 New Zealand Labour Party William Patrick Hickey 15,445 42.76 +14.32 New Zealand Labour Party Frederick Kelso 15,418 42.69 Christchurch Citizens' Association William Hayward 15,400 42.64 -2.46 Christchurch Citizens' Association Frank Sturmer Wilding 15,310 42.39 Christchurch Citizens' Association Henry Frederick Herbert 15,001 41.53 Christchurch Citizens' Association Thomas Andrews 14,998 41.52 -4.55 Christchurch Citizens' Association George Daniel Simpson 14,432 39.96 Christchurch Citizens' Association Herbert Clarence Hurst 14,312 39.62 Christchurch Citizens' Association William Scholes Grigg 13,438 37.20 Christchurch Citizens' Association Frederick Laws 12,364 34.23 Independent politician Berthold Ahlfeld 3,284 9.09 +4.49 Aftermath Macfarlane served a three-year term as mayor and did not stand for re-election as he wanted to serve in World War II. During his mayoralty, he unsuccessfully stood in the 1938 general election but was successful in a 1939 by-election, when he succeeded Ted Howard. Guthrie did not contest further elections but became the president of the local branch of the New Zealand National Party. Guthrie died in 1942.Obituary: Dr. John Guthrie https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19420613.2.47 23 October 2019 The Press LXXVIII 23663 13 June 1942 6 Macfarlane served a further eight years as mayor from 1950 to 1958. References Category:Mayoral elections in Christchurch Category:1938 elections in New Zealand Category:Politics of Christchurch Category:1930s in Christchurch Category:May 1938 in Oceania