CHRISTCHURCH TRAMWAYS BILL.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16881, 8 July 1920, Page 6

CHRISTCHURCH TRAMWAYS BILL.

ME ISITT AND MR McCOMBS AT VARIANCE. ♦ (special to "the press.") WELLINGTON, July 7. Mr Isitt, this afternoon, obtained leave to introduce the Cliristchurch Tramways District Bill; which was read a first time, and ordered to be printed. Mr McCombs said he wished to seize tho first opportunity of making the electors in the Christchurch Tramway District acquainted with some of the proposals being put before the House. Ono point was that the franchise for the election of tho Tramway Board was to ba the francliise in the old Municipal Act of 1900. x There had been various Liberal amendments in the direction of broadening the franchise in local bodies since then, and\ it was surprising that now the framers of this Bill should go back to reactionary proposals existing twenty years ago. They should have the equivalent of the Parliamentary franchise. Ho would like Mr Isitt to te,ll the House liow lie stood in regard to this proposal, and what his attitude would Lo if an lion, member moved in the direction of altering the proposal in regard to the fran° cliise. Mr 11. A. Wright: What is the proposed franchise? >

Mr McCombs: The old freehold franchise plus a residential qualification for those who pay a certain amount of rent. There -was another reactionary proposal, namely, that no employee of the Tramway Union should be eligible for election on the Board. Even the old Conservatism of England was more Liberal than that. The promoters of the Bjll were asking the House to pass legislation preventing an employee to take a hand in the management, although' a majority of the electors in the district might decide that he -was a fit and proper person to sit on tlje Tramway Board. Mr Isitt, in reply, said the hon. member for Lyttelton never lost an opportunity, of- airing those democratic principles that formed the largest proportion of his make-up. (Laughter.) "However," said Mr Isitfc, "I am not jealous of his little stunt. In conversation with the member for Ricearton, I suggested that the Christchureh members should meet and discuss the provisions of the Bill among themselves before the House goes on with it. As the senior member for Christchurch.it was my duty to present this Bill to the House. No doubt during the further stages of the Bill wo shall agree upon a measure that will satisfy .the expectations of the most democratic."