BOROUGH COUNCIL "BREEZE"

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 119, 22 May 1928, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL "BREEZE"

LEGALITY OF BT-ELECTXOH.

MEMBER CHALLENGES MAYOR.

At tie conclusion of the ordinary business of the Onehunga Borough Council last night, Mr. E. Morton drew attention to a report in the "Auckland Star" concerning the qualification of a certain member of the council to retain his seat on the council, it having been alleged that he had forfeited it through parting with his property qualification. He asked the Mayor (Mr. W. C. Coldicutt) if the report was directed against himself.

The Mayor replied that he had been questioned by some ratepayers as to Air. Morton's eligibility to retain his Beat* and therefore had felt it to be his duty to look into the matter. He had done so, and fonnd that Mr. E. Morton was not a ratepayer, although his name was on the roll. He had not reported the matter to the Press, but he had told Mr. E. Morton at a committee meeting what was being said, and that he (the Mavor) had been spoken to about it. E. Morton pressed the Mayor ta state his opinion as to whether he (Mr. Morton) was eligible to sit on the counciL The Mayor said it was not his place to give a legal opinion. Mr. E. Morton replied with some degree of warmth: "If you think I am here under false pretences, why don't you get to work and clear it up?"

The Mayor, in answer to the request of Mr. F. S. Morton, asked the town clerk to tell the council if Mr. E, Morton was qualified to 6it on the council?

The town clerk replied that Mr. E. Morton's name was on the roll, but to the best of his belief Mr. Morton lost his eligibility to retain his seat on the council.

Mr. F. S. Morton: I don't want your belief, but a straight-out answer. Yes or no! You accepted his nomination. The town clerk stated that Mr. E. Morton was not on the borough register, and his name did not appear on the ratebook.

Mr. E. Morton: Yes, that's correct. It has not been on the ratebook for six months or more.

At this stage there was some cross firing between the Mayor and the two Morton brothers. When the atmosphere had cleared a bit, Mr. F. S. Morton said the shot had been fired at him, and that he was the member referred to. However, upon inquiry, he found that it was another member against whom the stigma had been cast. He challenged the Mayor to tell the council if Mr. E. Morton was legally a member of tli> Onehunga Borough Council? The Mayor replied that, as head of the council, he would accept the challenge and get the opinion of the borough solicitors and report to the next meeting of the council.

No other member of the council took part in the debate, which was listened to very intently by a large number of ratepayers, who evidently attended in the expectation of the matter "being ventilated, and they were not disappointed.