City Council Will Meet in Attempt To Elect Mayor

Latest reports indicate that the city of Cambridge will not have a mayor tonight, despite a City Council meeting at 4:30 p.m. today, which has been called to elect one.

Since the first ballot last Monday, the Council has been deadlocked in choosing the man who will preside over it. Cambridge Civic Association Councillor Edward A. Crane '35 has gotten that delegation's four votes on each of the six ballots so far. The five independents, meanwhile, have split their vote amongst themselves in varying combinations, with no man ever getting more than three votes. There seem to be few indications that the situation will change at today's meeting.

A majority of five is needed to elect a mayor, although the city can function in the absence of one. Under Plan E, its executive department is run by a City Manager, responsible to the Council. While the stalemate continues, however, the Council cannot transact normal legislative business.

Speculation on Switches

Very early last week, there had been speculation by some CCA supporters, and corresponding misgivings on the independent side, that certain independents might switch their votes to Crane after the deadlock was firmly established.

Most often mentioned in this category were Councillors John D. Lynch and Andrew T. Trodden. So far, however, Lynch has stuck by Walter J. Sullivan, presumably because of his traditional policy of supporting the candidate who topped the ticket in the fall election; Trodden has voted once for each other independent, and twice for himself.

On the other hand, certain independents, most obviously incumbent Mayor Thomas M. McNamara, are hoping the CCA bloc will settle on them as a compromise. This happened two years ago when McNamara won on the first ballot, with three CCA Councillors switching to him.

Mayor Heads School Committee

Besides presiding over the Council, the Mayor chairs the six-man School Committee. The CCA has three representatives on that body, and seems reluctant to give up obtaining the crucial seventh and deciding seat there.

The longest deadlock under Plan E took place in 1948 when the Council took 1,321 ballots to choose a mayor.