By Isle of Wight Observer
This gem, published in the Isle of Wight Observer on 9th March, 1907, caught our eye this week. Ventnorians were at loggerheads over an important issue, with the contentious matter settled by a very local referendum. This was won by a narrow majority by the “anti-Steamboaters”, clearly unimpressed with evidence submitted by the elected representatives of Blackpool, Brighton or Southend. It is interesting to note that Ventnor had two newspapers at the time.
SUNDAY STEAMBOATS AT VENTNOR.
The controversy respecting the Sunday Steamboats at Ventnor has been settled for a time, a poll of the town having shown that a small majority of the inhabitants are opposed to Sunday steamboats. The vexed question has had one good effect, it has relieved the town of a certain amount of monotony and has given the people something to occupy themselves with.
Sunday steamboats may seem a very small matter to most people but Ventnor regarded it as very important, and it has proved of sufficient interest to divide the town into two parties, “the Steamboaters,” who have vigorously championed the cause of the Steamboat Companies, and the “anti-Steamboaters,” who have as strenuously worked to prevent the boats visiting the town on the Sabbath.
Mr. Leitch was the champion of the former body and Mr. Barfoot of the latter, and neither could have worked harder had the matter been one of national importance. During the week posters were issued bearing the words, “Hastings Sunday Boats. Disaster! A warning to Ventnor.” These were the result of a visit by supporters of Mr Barfoot to Hastings where the Sunday Steamboats are supposed to have been detrimental to the town.
Mr. Leitch’s reply to this was the special issue of a local paper containing a whole page of “Facts for the workers” in large type comparing the progress of Blackpool, Brighton, Southend, etc., with that of Ventnor, with telegrams from the Mayors of those places affirming that the progress off those places had not been retarded by Sunday Steamboats. Both Ventnor papers also went to press earlier than usual to catch the electors with fresh facts, one championing the cause of Mr. Barfoot and the other of Mr. Leitch.
[…]
The result of the poll was declared at 8.40 in the presence of a large crowd outside the Town Hall as follows: –
Barfoot 466, Leitch 439, majority 27.