A dress rehearsal - C. Roy Reynolds

C. Roy Reynolds

BY APRIL 1944 there was no doubt that Jamaica would soon have a new Constitution in place, though the Governor and the members of his Legislative Council refused to release its details in the face of protest from the PNP and other elements. But before the new arrangement was put in effect there would be one last election under the old system.

That election would be one to fill a vacancy on the KSAC, created when N.N. Nethersole, a deputy leader of the People's National Party, resigned his seat over a taxation issue. On April 12 The Gleaner ran a story headed: "Keen Contest in Today's Bye-election for Council Seat". It named the candidates as Nethersole, Solicitor; and Gerald Mair, Accountant. Mair was contesting under the banner of the Jamaica Democratic Party. Apparently the newly-formed Jamaica Labour Party was still to make its appearance in competitive politics.

The Gleaner described the contest as "one of the keenest bye elections in the Corporate Area over a period of years." It revealed that at the root of the contest was the resignation earlier of Mr. Nethersole over a taxation issue. It centred around the fact that the Government had imposed new taxation, including property tax to be applied on a blanket basis. There was also a hint of still more taxation to follow by Governor John Huggins in his Budget presentation.

Mr. Nethersole and, by extension, his party, wanted the new taxes to be levied only on property of a value of £1000 and over, and when this was not accommodated he resigned his seat on the Corporation.

According to The Gleaner story "During the past fortnight more than usual interest has been evinced in the contest and the supporters of the People's National Party, of which Mr. Nethersole is Deputy Leader, and the Jamaica Democratic Party, of which Mr. Mair is a prominent member of the executive, have been contacting the thousands of voters of the ward, showing reasons why their respective candidate was the better fitted to represent the burgesses."

It stated that the final meetings had been held the day before and said that the Returning Officer Karl Polack had secured the services of seasoned presiding officers and "everything ought to be carried out smoothly".

The day after the election, April 13, The Gleaner reported that there had been a record turnout of some 3,500 voters. The intensity of the competition, it said, had "left even veteran campaigners puzzled and perplexed".

One feature of the day, gave the impression that this might have been the genesis of at least political opportunism if not sharp practices. For according to the story, "taxi cabs reportedly contracted in large numbers to the Jamaica Democratic Party and displaying the 'vote for Gerald Mair'sign, flitted busily about the election area almost without recess, but so many cases of voters for Mr. Nethersole being conveyed by those vehicles came to light that the polling was always in doubt".

The story observed that of the approximately 3,500 votes 1,500 were polled in the Cross Roads station alone. Second heaviest polling was reported at Half Way Tree where the turnout was given at about 650. These two stations were regarded as favouring Gerald Mair. Mr. Nethersole was reported to have been favoured in the western areas. But the voting was reported as much lighter in these regions. Jones Pen recorded fewer than 400 votes and Greenwich Town under 300. But the report said: "Observers felt however that the majority for Mr. Nethersole in these areas was so overwhelming that the Mair lead at Half Way Tree at least would be adequately offset".

Bellicose
behaviour

Matilda's Corner was thought to be leaning towards Mair, but Papine was regarded as the opposite and The Gleaner reported that it had become a sort of slogan of the election that whoever won at Cross Roads would take the election.

Still, apart from the free-ride caper The Gleaner reported a peaceful affair. It observed that at Cross Roads the crowd that gathered "seemed almost static" and "discussed the trend of events without any acrimony, and even those persons reputed for bellicose behaviour were quite orderly, some of them even reticent."

"Out in Greenwich Farm The Gleaner man's question directed to a responsible sub-officer at 4:00 p.m. 'Any incidents in your area?' brought the reply: No, I haven't seen even a drunken man from morning!"

The story went on to relate the efforts of William Seivright and Wills Isaacs in their areas on behalf of their party and that the Jamaica Democratic Party organisation "moved on well-oiled wheels".

It had been a heady campaign for the fledgling Jamaica Democratic Party and perhaps the nearest it would come to electoral success before it was almost wiped out in the General Elections under the new Constitution later that year. The newly-formed JLP of Alexander Bustamante would sweep both it and the PNP in those exercises. One however, lived, the other died!

C. Roy Reynolds is a freelance journalist.

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