CITY BY-ELECTION.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 246, 17 October 1922, Page 5

CITY BY-ELECTION.

HEAVY COST OF POLL. WANTED, AN AMKND.MKNT. I DRAIN ON KIND*. The City * uniicil hv-eleetioii v\lil-.-T» takes place to-murrow week i< jtoing *" cost the ratepayer* of Auckland at least JC4M, in return for the ilubion* l>enefit ol timing added to the iweiit\ present memher* of the I ounuil another niemVr *i range in l!ic work, and ii good part of vrhose term of *ix months will hv occil pied in spttliiiK down to tliinjc*. Hnd Hie late Mr. Biijiiiall lived three weeklonger the Council it«e.lf would have had thr power to diapnnse wth an election, an tin . Act (rives the'local body authority to till a vacancy Hmt occur* within si\ months of the expiry of its term of office. Dip nomination of only one candidal c '. would, of course, have served the sam>purpose, tile saving ti» ihe city of pipe lion expenses, hut there are liro noni; nation* already lodged, and a thirl ' candidate is annoiincoii to oiand. Si> far [** the effect of the election on the policy and prograuinie of tlu , t ouncil i« con i cernpd the noniiiiees might sis well »gi -,- c j to ipilt. their names in n hat ami ahidv liy j the draw. ('andidate* a< ;• rule. h«« jerer have a different rt - ny of lnokinj.' :ii I tllOfP tllilio*.

When on the matter thiinnrniiip:. the Mayflr (Mr. (Junsoni re mnrkt'd fiiat the niestion was purely cue of statutory obligation. "The Council lias no administrative option in the matter." he said, adding: "The law ca>U dutifis on t lie returning oflicer in vuum-c tion with the eleotinn. and these haw , to lie carried cut, 'Div matter is theiv. forp i|iiitp outside, the CouneilV juriwli--tion. At the same time, it mii«t !■<■ obvious to all that under circumstance like thece, and they aleo apply to ilic I'ower Hoard, ihv cost of an election could lie avoided liy an amendment of the Act which would allow the local body to fill vacancies which may occki".

Tfie present election will cost sonnhundreds of [loiinda. for the iinexpired term of the iMMinoil's period of ofli.'-. namely, a little over >ix months. Tin , Ac: allows, in the event of a vaMnci arising in the last six niomlis of the uotmp.il'* term, for the filliujr of muOi < vacanvy h.v tiie counoil itself. In tin , present iustanoe the vaeauvy occurs jn-t [w>yond that limit of time. In view of tlm heavy uopta involved the i-nunuil ina> consider the question of making representations to the Municipal Colifcrenci'. *!is*gfl»t'nv: an a nioiid 1110111 to the At. At a time like tiie present, when loc.il body fiimls have *uell heavy rlemand* t" meet, in c-iiM , of tiie C ity Council for the <level.7[iraent of the city work*, -nhicii I arc everywhere (Iciuandiiij; attention. ! extraordinary vacancies i-onlil wel! li« <l<>alt with and the heavy costs of liy- ! election« a.voi>!o<l, without the intern*!* !of tiie rate)»ayer« euffcrina in am way ■what.-ver.