1898 Toronto municipal election

Municipal elections were held in Toronto, Canada, on January 3, 1898. Mayor John Shaw was first elected mayor by Toronto City Council after his predecessor, Robert John Fleming, resigned on August 5, 1897, to accept an appointment as assessment commissioner. Shaw was returned to office in the 1898 election by defeating former alderman Ernest A. Macdonald, who was making his second attempt to be elected mayor. The main issues of both the mayoralty and aldermanic campaigns were a proposal to build the James Bay Railway from Toronto to James Bay and proposals to get hydroelectric power from Niagara Falls so that the city could have access to less expensive electricity, with Shaw favouring both proposals, along with almost all aldermen who were elected.

Toronto mayor

 * Results
 * John Shaw (incumbent) - 12,602
 * Ernest A. Macdonald - 8,462

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Board of Control
The Toronto Board of Control was elected by Toronto City Council from among its members, and presided over by the mayor. At the first council meeting following the general election, council chose Aldermen Burns, Hubbard, and Leslie to sit on the body, presided over by the mayor.

Plebiscites
A plebiscite was held on abolishing tax exemptions, however, the measure needed approval by the provincial government in order to be implemented.
 * Results
 * Yea - 11,331
 * Nay - 5,175

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Aldermen elected to City Council
Four alderman were elected to sit on Toronto City Council in each of six wards. Five incumbent aldermen were defeated in the election while an additional four did not stand for re-election.


 * First Ward
 * F.A. Richardson - 1,226
 * James Frame (incumbent) - 1,140
 * Henry R. Frankland - 955
 * John Knox Leslie (incumbent) - 835
 * William T. Stewart - 724
 * John Russell (incumbent) - 684
 * Thomas Allen (incumbent) - 626
 * T.E. Washington - 609
 * Samuel H. Defries - 296
 * George Wellings - 263


 * Second Ward
 * T. Bryce - 1,934
 *  Daniel Lamb  (incumbent) - 1,724
 *  Thomas Davies - 1,599
 *  John Hallam  (incumbent) - 1,490
 * Francis S. Spence (incumbent) - 1,365
 * Thomas Foster - 954
 * W.L. Beale (incumbent) - 929
 * John Watson -591
 * E.W.D. Butler - 342
 * James O'Hara - 125
 * George Duffy - 85


 * Third Ward
 * George McMurrich - 2,303
 * Bernard Saunders (incumbent) - 2,300
 * O.B. Sheppard (incumbent) - 2,141
 * Richard John Score - 1,598
 * J.B. Boustead - 1,402
 * A.F. Webster - 1,334
 * James Allison - 1,263
 * W.E. Raney - 1,170
 * Frank Moses - 691
 * Arthur Bollard - 615
 * John Damp -508
 * Richard Reynolds - 270


 * Fourth Ward
 * Wm. Burns (incumbent) - 2,226
 * Wm. P. Hubbard (incumbent) - 2,161
 * James Crane (incumbent) - 1,888
 * Edward Hanlan - 1,595
 * H.E. Trent - 1,300
 * Thomas Urquhart - 1,264
 * William Carlyle (incumbent) - 1,093
 * James Jolliffe - 838
 * W.G McWilliams -835
 * Robert P. Hall - 323
 * George McKibbon - 279


 * Fifth Ward
 * Francis H. Woods (incumbent) - 1,903
 * John Dunn (incumbent) - 1,885
 * Robt. H. Graham (incumbent) - 1,506
 * A.R. Denison - 1,425
 * Dr. William Stewart Fraleigh - 1,350
 * J.E. Verral - 980
 * Robert Hay - 694
 * W.W. Farley - 450
 * George Evans - 188
 * C.A. Muerrle - 171


 * Sixth Ward
 * James M. Bowman - 1,057
 * James Gowanlock (incumbent) - 1,029
 * Adam Lynd M.D. (incumbent) - 761
 * John J. Graham (incumbent) - 731
 * J. Harvey Hall - 709
 * Hugh MacMath - 644
 * Sturgeon Stewart - 609
 * Alex Asher - 599
 * Joseph Pocock - 406
 * C.F. Denison - 337
 * John Brown - 309
 * George Gilbert Rowe - 252
 * Robert Buist Noble - 194
 * George Gordon Miles - 18

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