J. M. Newman, Liberal-Labour Fort Frances, is the choice of the electors of the Rainy River as their candidate to the Ontario Legislature as a result of Monday’s election. in 75 of 81 polls he has a majority of 243 over his nearest opponent, Mayor R. O. Wilkes, M. C., of Rainy River. Lockhart, CCF, member until the House dissolved recently at Queen’s Park trailed 520 votes behind Newman.
As it was generally prophesied, the election was very close, excepting for the L.P.P. member who got only 338 votes in 77 polls of which 15 gave him no votes at all.
The standing, as near as could be ascertained at noon was Anderson 338, Lockhart 1914, Newman 2452 and Wilkes 2178.
Some persons hold the opinion that the soldiers; vote may yet swing the election in favour of Wilkes, while contrasting commenting is that the majority is too large to overcome.The probable soldiers’ vote is estimated variously between 1100 and 300. Most persons estimate the actual vote may be around 400 to 600, a substantial majority for Wilkes of these votes could elect him.
While this eat is now listed in the Liberal Column, Newman stated publicly that the election is still not won although his majority is encouraging to him.
In Fort Frances Wilkes topped Newman by 12 votes indicating how close the battle for votes was running between these two candidates. In the west ward Newman had a majority of six. In what would normally be ward two in Fort Frances, the north central part of town, Newman had a majority of 11. The Public School polls which represented the north central part of town east of Victoria, gave Wilkes a majority of 4 votes. In the south central part Fort Frances, however, at the Town Hall, Wilkes came through with a very substantial majority being 73. In ward 5 Newman polled a 15-vote majority.
In the east end Newman’s majority over Wilkes was the highest of any Fort Frances ward with his majority being 33. The only polls in Fort Frances which Lockhart had the highest number of votes were the east end Worker’s Hall polls where he had a majority of one over Newman in one poll (with 38 votes for him) and 4 in the other poll (with 41 votes for him.)
The only polls in Fort Frances giving the Labour Progressives more than 15 votes was a Public School poll, in which they got 19 and the Midway Grocery in which they got 20. Fort Frances voters gave the Labour Progressives only 168 votes, but sufficient at least to indicate that Anderson’s name was on the ballot paper.
In Fort Frances Lockhart got slightly more than half of as many votes as either of the other two leading candidates. Throughout the district exclusive of Fort Frances, Lockhart polled approximately 100 more votes than Wilkes while Newman polled around 150 more than Lockhart.
Excluding votes from Fort Frances and Rainy River, which would give almost an almost purely rural vote, Lockhart lost out to Newman by about 150 votes while Wilkes trailed in the rural area about 250 votes behind Newman.
In his home town, Rainy River, Wilkes headed the combined polls with a one vote majority over Lockhart, giving him 190 to Lockhart’s 189. Lackhart’s home poll, Morely which covers Stratton where he resided, gave him a substantial majority of 34 votes over Newman and more than twice as many votes as the Progressive-Conservative candidate.
Throughout the district, Lockhart topped the polls at Pratt, Sutherland, Deart, East Nelles, West Kingsford, Atikokan village, McIrvine, LaVallee, Buriss, Mather No. 3, Pattullo, Pinewood, Blue and Bergland (where he got a one vote majority of Newman) besides the two polls in Fort Frances and the Morely poll.
Lockhart’s second largest majority was in McIrvine where je polled 32 votes more than Wilkes obtained.
Besides his 12 vote majority in Fort Frances and two-vote majority in Rainy River, Wilkes headed the polls at Bears Pass, Mine Center, Steep Rock, Off Lake, Alberton, Emo,Aylesworth, Barwick and Morson.
Outside Fort Frances Newman polled majorities on teh following polls: McInnis Creek, Harris Hill, Dewart, Dance, Miscampbell, Rainy Lake, Flanders, One-sided Lake, Big Fork, Devlin, Black Hawk, No. 8 Mather, Finland, Sleeman, Atwood (both polls) and Minahico.
With four polls yet to be accounted for there are fifteen polls reported in which Anderson did not poll a single vote.
