OUT OF HAT?

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 90, 17 April 1941, Page 8

OUT OF HAT?

CHAIRMAN CHOICE

TRANSPORT POSSIBILITY

Ail interesting position is likely to ariee in connection with the election next month of the chairman of the Auckland Transport Board, because of the equal representation on the board of the Citizens' Association and Labour party. While various other local bodies will be the subject of elections next month, the term for members of the Transport Board hae still two years to run. Howover, the board is required to elect a chairman every two yeaic. in May. and the term of the present chairman. Mr. \V. H. Nagle, is rapidly approaching the expiry stage.

When the present board first assembled, two men were nominated for the chairmanship—Mr. Xagle and Mr. J. Sayegli, representing the Citizens' Association and the Labour party respectively. Five votes were east for eaeli nominee, and final choice rested with Mr. Xagie, whose name wat> drawn out of the hat. There has been little change in the constitution of the board since then, or, at least, the afliliatione of the members have changed little, and the possibility is that the '"hat trick" will have to be performed by tlie beard agsin next month. It seems highly probable that both Messrs. Xagle and Saycgh will l»e the "only starters" once more, and should that be the case they will no doubt receive five votes each. Finality of selection will then have to be determined by lot.

.Since "the last ejection of chairman it is stated that one member, who was elected to the hoard on the Lal>our ticket, has resigned from tlie Labour

party, and his vote, of course. is not now subject to the dictates of party, it is revealed, however, that this member .-till attends "caucuses'* of Labour members of the board by invitation, and. in the circumstances, it would appear that his vote on the chairmanship issue would fro to Mr. Savegh, thus maintaining the "fifty-fifty" balance of voting strength. The actual date for the annual meeting of the board and the election of a chairman has not yet been fixed, this being subject to the finalising of the accounts, but the annual meeting iim-a be started before the end of Mav.