Jump to content

1920 Calgary municipal election

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1920 Calgary municipal election

← 1919 December 15, 1920 1921 →
 
Candidate Samuel Hunter Adams Issac G. Ruttle
Popular vote 5,249 2,786
Percentage 65.33% 34.67%

Mayor before election

Robert Colin Marshall

Elected mayor

Samuel Hunter Adams

The 1920 Calgary municipal election was held on December 15, 1920 to a Mayor and six Aldermen to sit on Calgary City Council for two years, and two Aldermen to sit for one year. Additionally a Commissioner, three members for the Public School Board and two members for the Separate School Board were elected.

There were twelve aldermen on city council, but six of the positions were already filled: Frank Freeze, George Harry Webster, Annie Gale, and Fred Shouldice, were all elected to two-year terms in 1919 and were still in office. Both Samuel Hunter Adams and Issac G. Ruttle resigned their positions as Aldermen to run for mayor.

A number of plebiscites were held, all requiring a majority to pass.

The election was held under the Single Transferable Voting/Proportional Representation (STV/PR) with the term for Alderman being two years and the Mayor being one year.[1]

Background

[edit]

In the 1920 election for mayor, Adams ran against his only challenger, and fellow alderman Isaac G. Ruttle. Adams and Ruttle were both friends and agreed to spend only $100 during the election, $50 for advertisements in the Calgary Herald and $50 for advertisements in the Albertan. During the campaign both candidates would travel together as Adams did not have a car, and alternated who would speak first at each event. Eventually both candidates broke the agreement to spend only $100 with Ruttle placing advertisements between films in one of the City's theaters, and Adams countered with a $25 advertisement in the Market Examiner. Adams won the election held on December 15, 1920 with approximately 60% of the vote and assumed the role of Calgary's 21st Mayor on January 3, 1920, serving until January 2, 1923.[2]

Results

[edit]

Mayor

[edit]
Party Candidate Votes % Elected
Dominion Labor Samuel Hunter Adams 5,249 65.33% Green tickY
Dominion Labor Issac G. Ruttle 2,786 34.67%
Total valid votes 8,803
Approximate rejected ballots 1,200

Council

[edit]
Party Candidate Votes % Count Term Length Elected
Dominion Labor Fred J. White 1,222 15.44% 1st 2 Years Green tickY
Dominion Labor John Sidney Arnold 924 11.68% 1st 2 Years Green tickY
Civic Government Association John Hugill 905 11.44% 1st 2 Years Green tickY
Dominion Labor Walter Little 813 10.28% 2nd 2 Years Green tickY
Civic Government Association Alexander McTaggart 758 9.58% 3rd 2 Years Green tickY
Civic Government Association Charles Stevenson 691 8.73% 8th 2 Years Green tickY
Civic Government Association Neil I. McDermid 705 8.91% 8th 1 Year Green tickY
Independent Geoffrey Silvester 431 5.45% X 1 Year Green tickY
Independent George E. Williams 367 4.64%
Independent George D. Batchelor 359 4.54%
Independent William Turner 295 3.73%
Independent W. H. Beal 262 3.31%
Independent J. B. Douglas 180 2.28%
Total valid votes 7,912
Approximate rejected ballots 1,200

Commissioner

[edit]
Party Candidate Votes % Elected
Dominion Labor A. J. Samis 4,496 58.01% Green tickY
Dominion Labor A. G. Broatch 2,192 28.28%
Dominion Labor Angus Smith 1,062 13.70%
Total valid votes 7,750
Approximate rejected ballots 1,200

Public School Board

[edit]
Party Candidate Votes % Count Elected
Civic Government Association H. A. Sinnott 3,167 24.62% 1st Green tickY
Independent Marion Carson 1,363 17.68% 1st Green tickY
Dominion Labor Lillie C. Woodhall 1,004 15.81% 3rd Green tickY
Civic Government Association Robert H. Parkyn 954 13.00%
Independent H. M. McCallum 954 12.22%
Total valid votes 7,343

Separate School Board

[edit]
Party Candidate Votes % Count Elected
Civic Government Association J. Harcourt O'Reilly 155 24.62% 1st Green tickY
Independent R. J. McLean 79 17.68% 1st Green tickY
Dominion Labor M. J. Sheedy 83 15.81%
Civic Government Association McKay 36 13.00%
Independent Fay 26 12.22%
Total valid votes 379

Plebiscites

[edit]

Gas Plebiscite

[edit]
Gas Plebiscite Votes %
To let rates stand, no franchise changes 5,417 74.49%
Council proposal, 42 cent gas, 2.5 years 337 4.63%
Mayor proposal, 50 cent gas, rebate 208 2.86%
Company proposal, arbitration 1,310 18.01%

Curfew Bylaw

[edit]

To institute Curfew Law in Calgary.

Curfew Bylaw Votes %
Yes 4,421 60.82%
No 2,848 39.18%

Aldermen Pay

[edit]

To pay Aldermen $500 per year.

Aldermen Pay Votes %
Yes 2,895 39.59%
No 4,417 60.41%

Capitalize Street Railway Expenditures Bylaw

[edit]

Vote on bylaw to capitalize $250,000 street railway expenditures.

Capitalize Street Railway Bylaw Votes %
For 1,635 43.00%
Against 2,167 57.00%

Waterworks Extension Programme Bylaw

[edit]

Vote on bylaw for waterworks extension programme.

Waterworks Extension Bylaw Votes %
For 2,057 53.28%
Against 1,804 46.72%

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Election Results". The Calgary Daily Herald. No. 4021. December 16, 1920. p. 1. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  2. ^ Olson, Kirsten; Sanders, Harry (October 18, 2013). "5 Calgary elections more interesting than this one". CBC News. CBC News. Retrieved February 28, 2020.