1930 Hamilton, Ontario municipal election Candidate John Peebles Party Independent Popular vote Acclaimed
The 1930 Hamilton municipal election was held on December 1, 1930 to select one Mayor, four Controllers, and sixteen members of the Hamilton, Ontario, City Council , two from each of the city's eight wards. Voters also cast ballots for trustees for the public school board .[ 1]
The 1930 campaign was marked by two major occurrences. The first was the absence of a vote on the city's Hydro Commissioner. Unlike in past elections, voters in Hamilton would not have the option to elect their representative to the publicly owned hydro-electric company for the city due to changes in provincial legislation that created an appointed board of three individuals to replace the single elected office of Commissioner. Attempting to de-politicize the office, Ontario's provincial government abolished the elected position and created a three-person board with appointees to be chosen by Queen's Park , city council, and the mayor.[ 2]
The second event was the surprise nomination of local athlete Sam Manson for a seat on the Board of Control. Unbeknownst to any more than a dozen of Manson's closest friends, his nomination caught the city's local political establishment by surprise. When rumours of a last-minute entry began circulating city hall at 10:00 the morning of Friday, November 21, the city's sitting aldermen and controllers began questioning the city clerk. Refusing to reveal who the candidate was until five minutes before the close of nominations, the city clerk reportedly faced a "barrage of questioning" from local politicians.[ 2]
Overall, interest in the election of 1930 was low, in part because of the worsening economic situation faced by Hamiltonians due to the Great Depression . The Hamilton Spectator reported that less than 30 people attended the traditional post-nomination speeches by candidates at city hall.[ 2]
"Last, but not least, we must congratulate Mayor Peebles on the signal honour accorded him. Of course, it was never expected that any one would contest the mayoralty this year. Not only is it an unwritten law that a mayor must have a second term unopposed, but his worship has displayed so much acumen and foresight in his conduct of civic affairs during one of the worst periods of the city's history, that there is a general feeling that no other hand but his could as successfully pilot the civic ship out of the shoals of depression."
[ 3]
Mayor John Peebles, who had been acclaimed to his first term in 1929, was returned to a second-term by acclamation once more in 1930. In his nomination speech, Peebles spoke at length about the successes of his administration over the previous year, including the opening of McMaster University in Hamilton, improvements to the city's waterworks, and new facilities for the Canadian National Railway .[ 4] In their summary of the city's nominations, the Spectator noted that "no other hand but [Peebles'] could as successfully pilot the civic ship out of the shoals of depression."[ 3]
Summary of the December 1, 1930 Hamilton, Ontario Mayoral Election Candidate Affiliation Popular vote Votes % ±% John Peebles (incumbent) Independent Acclaimed Total votes n/a n/a Registered voters n/a n/a n/a Note: Candidate campaign colours are used as a visual differentiation between candidates and to indicate affiliation. Sources: "Sam R. Manson is real dark horse", Hamilton Spectator , Friday, November 21, 1930, pg. 7.
Summary of the December 1, 1930 Hamilton, Ontario Board of Control Election Candidate Affiliation Popular vote Votes % ±% Sam Manson Independent 15,413 n/a n/a Donald MacFarlane (incumbent) Independent Conservative 14,866 n/a n/a Cranmer Riselay Independent 13,033 n/a n/a Sam Lawrence (incumbent) Independent Labour Party 12,639 n/a n/a John Henry Ball Independent 12,302 n/a n/a Thomas O'Heir Independent 7,235 n/a n/a Total votes n/a n/a Registered voters n/a n/a n/a Note: Candidate campaign colours are used as a visual differentiation between candidates and to indicate affiliation. Sources: "Board of Control Summary", Hamilton Spectator , Tuesday, December 2, 1930, pp. 10.
Summary of the December 1, 1930 Hamilton, Ontario Ward One Aldermanic Election Candidate Affiliation Popular vote Votes % ±% William MacFarland (incumbent) Independent 3,601 n/a n/a Herbert Wilton Independent 2,055 n/a n/a Fred Brooks Independent 1,903 n/a n/a Total votes n/a n/a Registered voters n/a n/a n/a Note: Candidate campaign colours are used as a visual differentiation between candidates and to indicate affiliation. Sources: "How Aldermanic Candidates Ran", Hamilton Spectator , Tuesday, December 2, 1930, pp. 10.
Summary of the December 1, 1930 Hamilton, Ontario Ward Two Aldermanic Election Candidate Affiliation Popular vote Votes % ±% Thomas Wright (incumbent) Independent 1,834 n/a n/a Gordon Flett (incumbent) Independent 1,719 n/a n/a William Ainsley Independent Liberal 1,508 n/a n/a Total votes n/a n/a Registered voters n/a n/a n/a Note: Candidate campaign colours are used as a visual differentiation between candidates and to indicate affiliation. Sources: "How Aldermanic Candidates Ran", Hamilton Spectator , Tuesday, December 2, 1930, pp. 10.
Summary of the December 1, 1930 Hamilton, Ontario Ward Three Aldermanic Election Candidate Affiliation Popular vote Votes % ±% William Hutton (incumbent) Independent 2,369 n/a n/a D'Arcy Argue Martin (incumbent) Independent 2,313 n/a n/a Austin Macaulay Independent 1,264 n/a n/a Henry Bush Independent 604 n/a n/a Total votes n/a n/a Registered voters n/a n/a n/a Note: Candidate campaign colours are used as a visual differentiation between candidates and to indicate affiliation. Sources: "How Aldermanic Candidates Ran", Hamilton Spectator , Tuesday, December 2, 1930, pp. 10.
Summary of the December 1, 1930 Hamilton, Ontario Ward Four Aldermanic Election Candidate Affiliation Popular vote Votes % ±% William Thompson (incumbent) Independent 1,284 n/a n/a Arthur Davidson Independent 1,194 n/a n/a George Hancock Independent 1,191 n/a n/a Peter Cheeseman Independent 822 n/a n/a Percy Wright Independent 448 n/a n/a Harry Penton Independent Labour Party 393 n/a n/a Frederick Flatman Independent 153 n/a n/a Henry Roberts Independent 141 n/a n/a Total votes n/a n/a Registered voters n/a n/a n/a Note: Candidate campaign colours are used as a visual differentiation between candidates and to indicate affiliation. Sources: "How Aldermanic Candidates Ran", Hamilton Spectator , Tuesday, December 2, 1930, pp. 10.
Summary of the December 1, 1930 Hamilton, Ontario Ward Five Aldermanic Election Candidate Affiliation Popular vote Votes % ±% John Sherring (incumbent) Independent 1,500 n/a n/a Charles Aitchison (incumbent) Independent Labour Party 1,482 n/a n/a Albert Marck Independent 993 n/a n/a Michael Cummings Independent 490 n/a n/a Fred Amos Independent 293 n/a n/a Total votes n/a n/a Registered voters n/a n/a n/a Note: Candidate campaign colours are used as a visual differentiation between candidates and to indicate affiliation. Sources: "How Aldermanic Candidates Ran", Hamilton Spectator , Tuesday, December 2, 1930, pp. 10.
Summary of the December 2, 1930 Hamilton, Ontario Ward Six Aldermanic Election Candidate Affiliation Popular vote Votes % ±% Archie Pollock (incumbent) Independent Labour Party 2,030 n/a n/a John Hodgson (incumbent) Independent 1,669 n/a n/a Vernon Barker Independent 1,035 n/a n/a Charles Avery Independent 339 n/a n/a William Wardley Independent 294 n/a n/a Total votes n/a n/a Registered voters n/a n/a n/a Note: Candidate campaign colours are used as a visual differentiation between candidates and to indicate affiliation. Sources: "How Aldermanic Candidates Ran", Hamilton Spectator , Tuesday, December 2, 1930, pp. 10.
Summary of the December 1, 1930 Hamilton, Ontario Ward Seven Aldermanic Election Candidate Affiliation Popular vote Votes % ±% Samuel Clarke (incumbent) Independent Labour Party 2,091 n/a n/a Archie Burton (incumbent) Independent 1,694 n/a n/a Paul Oliveri Independent 600 n/a n/a William Patterson Independent 365 n/a n/a Total votes n/a n/a Registered voters n/a n/a n/a Note: Candidate campaign colours are used as a visual differentiation between candidates and to indicate affiliation. Sources: "How Aldermanic Candidates Ran", Hamilton Spectator , Tuesday, December 2, 1930, pp. 10.
Summary of the December 5, 1932 Hamilton, Ontario Ward Eight Aldermanic Election Candidate Affiliation Popular vote Votes % ±% John Mitchell (incumbent) Independent Labour Party 3,331 n/a n/a James Reed Independent Labour Party 2,203 n/a n/a Archie Burton (incumbent) Policy for 1933 2,089 n/a n/a James Walker Communist Party 1,288 n/a n/a Nathaniel Moore Independent 853 n/a n/a Total votes n/a n/a Registered voters n/a n/a n/a Note: Candidate campaign colours are used as a visual differentiation between candidates and to indicate affiliation. Sources: "How Aldermanic Candidates Ran", Hamilton Spectator , Tuesday, December 6, 1932, pp. 16.
Summary of the December 1, 1930 Hamilton, Ontario Board of Education Ward One Trustee election Candidate Affiliation Popular vote Votes % ±% George Cameron Gage (incumbent) Independent 3,595 80.2% n/a George Thornewell Independent Labour Party 887 19.8% n/a Total votes 4,482 n/a Registered voters n/a n/a n/a Note: Candidate campaign colours are used as a visual differentiation between candidates and to indicate affiliation. Sources: "School Trustees", Hamilton Spectator , Tuesday, December 2, 1930, pg. 10.
Summary of the December 1, 1930Hamilton, Ontario Board of Education Ward Two Trustee election Candidate Affiliation Popular vote Votes % ±% Dr. J. W. Bell Independent Acclaimed Total votes n/a n/a Registered voters n/a n/a n/a Note: Candidate campaign colours are used as a visual differentiation between candidates and to indicate affiliation. Sources: "School Trustees", Hamilton Spectator , Tuesday, December 2, 1930, pg. 10.
Summary of the December 1, 1930Hamilton, Ontario Board of Education Ward Three Trustee election Candidate Affiliation Popular vote Votes % ±% George Ballard Independent Acclaimed Total votes n/a n/a Registered voters n/a n/a n/a Note: Candidate campaign colours are used as a visual differentiation between candidates and to indicate affiliation. Sources: "School Trustees", Hamilton Spectator , Tuesday, December 2, 1930, pg. 10.
Summary of the December 1, 1930Hamilton, Ontario Board of Education Ward Four Trustee election Candidate Affiliation Popular vote Votes % ±% Emerson Mealley Independent Acclaimed Total votes n/a n/a Registered voters n/a n/a n/a Note: Candidate campaign colours are used as a visual differentiation between candidates and to indicate affiliation. Sources: "School Trustees", Hamilton Spectator , Tuesday, December 2, 1930, pg. 10.
Summary of the December 1, 1930Hamilton, Ontario Board of Education Ward Five Trustee election Candidate Affiliation Popular vote Votes % ±% Thomas Binkley (incumbent) Independent 1,418 61.76% n/a Charles Levinson Independent 878 38.24% n/a Total votes 2,296 n/a Registered voters n/a n/a n/a Note: Candidate campaign colours are used as a visual differentiation between candidates and to indicate affiliation. Sources: "School Trustees", Hamilton Spectator , Tuesday, December 2, 1930, pg. 10.
Summary of the December 1, 1930Hamilton, Ontario Board of Education Ward Six Trustee election Candidate Affiliation Popular vote Votes % ±% Frank Robbins Independent Acclaimed Total votes n/a n/a Registered voters n/a n/a n/a Note: Candidate campaign colours are used as a visual differentiation between candidates and to indicate affiliation. Sources: "School Trustees", Hamilton Spectator , Tuesday, December 2, 1930, pg. 10.
Summary of the December 1, 1930Hamilton, Ontario Board of Education Ward Seven Trustee election Candidate Affiliation Popular vote Votes % ±% Orville Walsh Independent 1,483 58.36% n/a James Reed Independent Labour Party 1,058 41.64% n/a Total votes 2,541 n/a Registered voters n/a n/a n/a Note: Candidate campaign colours are used as a visual differentiation between candidates and to indicate affiliation. Sources: "School Trustees", Hamilton Spectator , Tuesday, December 2, 1930, pg. 10.
Summary of the December 1, 1930Hamilton, Ontario Board of Education Ward Eight Trustee election Candidate Affiliation Popular vote Votes % ±% Agnes Sharpe Independent Labour Party 2,375 70.12% n/a Emmett Scarlett Independent 1,012 29.88% n/a Total votes 3,387 n/a Registered voters n/a n/a n/a Note: Candidate campaign colours are used as a visual differentiation between candidates and to indicate affiliation. Sources: "School Trustees", Hamilton Spectator , Tuesday, December 2, 1930, pg. 10.
^ "How Aldermanic Candidates Ran", Hamilton Spectator , Tuesday, December 2, 1930, pp. 10. ^ a b c "Sam R. Manson is real dark horse", Hamilton Spectator , Friday, November 21, 1930, pg. 7. ^ a b "Civic nominations", Hamilton Spectator , Saturday, November 22, 1930, pg. 6. ^ "Mayor Peeble's nomination address", Hamilton Spectator , Friday, November 21, 1930, pg. 18.
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