Council Still Playing 'Choose-The-Mayor'

The Cambridge City Council played with the idea of electing a mayor for exactly fifteen minutes yesterday, then adjourned after five unsuccessful ballots. The nine councillors will try again at 5:30 p.m. this evening.

Nine ballots have now elapsed since Jan. 6, when the Council first took up the selection of a mayor.

The councillors were in a good mood yesterday and refused to give consistent backing to any of the candidates. All the ballots were deadlocked, but only the incumbent, Edward A. Crane '35, received four votes twice during the day.

The sole consistent performer at the session was independent. Alfred E. Vellucci, who continued to vote for himself. Vellucci is regarded as the key to the balloting, which may continue as long as several weeks.

The other four independents took turns voting for each other. On the first ballot they supported Vice-Mayor Bernard Goldberg, on the second, Daniel J. Hayes, Jr., on the third, Walter J. Sullivan, and on the fourth, Andrew T. Trodden.

By the fifth ballot they were ready to back Vellucci with three of their four votes. Trodden, whose bid for mayor two years ago was spoiled when Vellucci supported Crane, voted for Sullivan.

The Cambridge Civic Association-backed councillors decided to join in on the fun for the first time yesterday and broke from their solid support of Crane. The four councillors exchanged votes among themselves, voting on successive ballots for Thomas A. Coates, Mrs. Cornella B. Wheeler, Crane, Thomas H.D. Mahoney, and Crane again.

Despite yesterday's blizzard, more than sixty persons gathered at City Hall to watch the proceedings.

Until either Vellucci decides to support another candidate, most likely Crane, or CCA decides to back Vellucci, the balloting will probably remain deadlocked.