The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1918-12-18
LITTLE INTEREST
IN ELECTION IS
SHOWN BY BALLOTS
A. S. DIMMICK, II. III. HALL AND
CHAS. LAMBERTSON ELECTED
FIRST CITY COMMISSIONERS

Belongs first election under the
new charter proved to be rather
tame affair as far as heavy vote be-
ing considered, for instead of a vote
Of between 1000 and 1900 only 589
voters showed up at the voting place
to cast their ballots and decree which
three of the five candidates for city
commissioners should be elected and
hold office.
The results of the balloting were
surprising not only from the fact that
5S9 votes were recorded and the wo-
man vote was only 1873, leaving 401
men votes. The entire vote is consid-
cred light for even apre-suffrage elect
ion and it was considered a certainty
that the ladies would be out in large
numbers to vote.
The first vote was cast by Mrs.
Pearl A. Coulter, wife of William
Coulter of the north SIDE. Mrs. Coul-
ter is one of the members cf the local
board of education and got down to the
polls early. She is the first woman
to vote at general municipal elect
ion in the history of this city.
Alvin s. Dimmick, of Belding Lum-
Der Company. has a right to feel proud
over the vote which he received and
must certainly have had the ladies on
his side for he received 468 votes, thus
electing him as the long term COM
missioner and unless he resigns, he
will be at the head Of the commission
for the next six years.
r. Howard Hall, came next with 344
votes, giving him the four year COM
missicnship and Chas. G. Lambertson
was the third in line with 324 votes
/ III m IL
Shawley received 251 votes and Den
mis- Hollenbeck received 236 votes.
Before election it was thought that
Hollenbeck would be one of the win
ners. Shawley also failed to deyel-
credited him.
The elcticn of Judge E. B. Lapham
as justice of the Peace to succeed
himself resulted from the Judge receiv-
| ing 506 votes. Some one evidently
for a joke, wrote in the name of Bert
Choate, a south end man, to take the
judges place, but the vote was not
counted. Another joke ballot was also
cast but we were unable to learn for
whom.
Fred McNitt for constable got 357
votes and Elmer f. Cook for the same
office got 454 votes. Both are elected.
Some question was raised to the valid
ity of the latters election owing to
the fact that no petition was passed
for him and his name was put on the
petition in place of the name cf Char
lie Coon, when Mr.. Coon refused to
run for reelection, the signatures
having been put on the petition for
Mr.. Coon as the candidate. City At
torney Hubbell was consulted regard
ing this particular incident and he in
formed the men who were taking the
matter up that they would have to
look up the petitions and find out if
there would be the required 10 names
to sign the petition for Mr.. Cook, or
else let the matter of the constable's
election stand as it is.
Some other matters were also
brought up during the day regarding
the legality of the new charter, the
method Of calling and holding the
election and like propositions, but it
is doubted if anything more than just
talk will come of it.
Belongs new commissioners, Mr..
Dimmick, Mr. Hall and Mr.. Lambert
son will take up their new duties on
January 1, 1919, at which time the
present council and the old order of
things will pass into ancient history.