ELECTION OF MAYORS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 197, 19 August 1913, Page 5

ELECTION OF MAYORS.

MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION DISCUSSION. TWO YEARS' TERM SUGGESTED, (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day Discussion took place at a meeting of the Executive of the Municipal Association to-day on a clause in the Municipal Corporations Am»ndment Bill providing that the mayor of a borough shall be elected by the Council. A motion was. moved by Mr Thompson (JohnsonvEle): "That the method of election be as pr»> vided in the bill." The Mayor of Wellington, in seconding the -motion, explained that it could only go for what it was -worth, as the Municipal conference had thrown out the proposal. He was firmly of opinion that the clause should he passed. He was » democrat, and believed in election by the people, but the .position in Wellington was that practically every time a councillor went to the people as a candidate for the mayoralty with an outsider ac an opponent, the councillor was "tunied down." The motion woe lest. Mr Fletcher (ohaiTman of the Wellington Ila-rbour Board) moved: "That th« election of mayor be by municipal franchise, as at preeent, but that candidates should be restricted to past mayors or councillors." Under the .present "system, he 6taied, it was often a man of wealth •who was elected, perhaps with ability, perhaps without, whereas a man who had 6erved the Council faithfully and well was not elected. Mr Lock (Nelson) strongly opposed the motion, on the ground that it was desirable to get only the best man, irrespective of whether he was a councillor or not. After discussion, ihe motion was lost by seven votes 'to two. A resolution was carried by eight votes to one, 'That it he a recommendation to the Government that the mayors should he elected for two years." A proposal .from St. Kilda that a mayor should serve for twelve months on the council after the expiry of his term as mayor was negatived.