LOCAL ELECTIONS.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17741, 18 April 1923, Page 11

LOCAL ELECTIONS.

THE NOMINATIONS

. jfoßunations for the Mayoralty, the .(L Council, and the city representa- „« the Lvttelton Harbour Board 1 . the Kortli Canterbury Hospital Ld closed at noon yesterday. The /flowing candidates, grouped accord- ■„ to ."party, were nominated:— MAYORALTY. rtfirens—Mr J- A. Flesher. &bwr-Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P. . fITY COUNCIL (16 Seats). Citizens. ' \fpq?rs John Anderson, Oscar W. 13. .Trcnii C P- Agar, K. H. Andrews, Tw Beaven, J. W. Bcanland, J. E „ „.r T M. Charters, J. D. Gray, W. I A. Millar A M„„hiro, Yy, Bowse, A. V,ilhams, B. McGregor \ ffright ' Labour. y, fl T. Armstrong, M.P., Rev. J. Archer, Ecv. Clyde Carr, Messrs F. f-cXe, E. J- Howard, M.P., E. K. / Lrlev. Mr 3 E. E. McCombs. Messrs Jp .Martin, G. T. Owen, F. M. BobfolU Independent. I tfessrs W„ H. Winsor, C. W. Hervey, j B B. Owen, J. L- Gant, F. E. Pearl, | j' Hampton. HOSPITAL BOAEB (8 Seats). Citizens. n r P C Fenwick, Messrs A. T. cJah H. J. Otley, \V. E. Lendley, fffVßaty, Mrs A. E. Herbert, Mrs Labour. Mrs S.Page, Eev. J. K. Archer, Itev. Clyde Carr, Bev. P. Paris, Mr C. Rcnn. 2AEBOUB BOARD (4 Seats). Citizens. Messrs H.Holland, Geo. Scott, J. R. jUyward, and Hon. G. J. Smith, M.L.C. Labour. ' , Messrs H. T. Armstrong, M.P., E. J. Howard, M.P., C. Eenn. Port Christchurch League. Mr T. H. Barker, Dr. 11. T. J. Thacker. CANDIDATES AND THE QUOTA. The election of members of the City Council will be conducted according to tie principle of proportional representation, and what each candidate will lave to strive for is to secure a suffi(ieit number of first preference votes (o'give him the quota which will automatically cause his election. The ><to will be arrived at by,. dividing the total number of valid votes cast by U—the latter number being one more than the seats to be filled—-and adding one tp the result. .- On the main district electors' roll there are 26,860 Dimes, and on the supplementary roll 6178, making a total possible voting length of 33,638. Assuming that everybody vstes, which is certainly not Sidy to happen, the quota would be 1979, and would be less as the total limber of valid votes cast were reduced. On a 25,000 vote the quota would he 1471, on a 20,000 vote the quota wonld be 1177, and on a 17,000 vote the quota would be 1001. It is expected that the total number of valid votes cast will be between 20,000 and koilO/nnless an. unreasonably, large proportion of the' electors fail in their should that be so anything 1mb4177 to 1471 first preference !f«te£mll carry a candidate to elecis, however, quite impossible <0 what the quota will ifiktiV'Qne knows the total number votes cast.

LABOUR'S CAMPAIGN.

'; LASl}' NIGHT'S MEETING. jsMojor eaiiiidates for the forthcom- .& , elections commenced in the Trades Hall last were about 250 people E. J. Howard occupied i'-lgljftfii- speakers were Mr I>. (Mayoral candidato), Armstrong, M.P., F. Martin, and the Rev. J|& ■ feher' (Council- candidates). M.P., stated that thought Labour was in commencing their cam•Pgnjhlnt he : wished to give the other M>;a ; '..cliance: They—the opposi.|>^haid:;beeh flying rather high, but #^ r #nld bring them down. He Wa'iCitizens' Assdciation programme hejaid, and they made their 'l'M'".Fur the Good of tho City." make, the people a motto it ':|P'bep. ,, Por the Good- of the CitiM^i';.There.was"a fundamental difSB|ce .between the two. He stated M/Labour. favoured municipal trad%»ad the-city should be supplying ?P.?With gas, electricity, etc., and Syoiipared the local government of »»chwch with that of Dunedin. pMin seemed to have men in charge ftiu^ity-who were of a different tvr.e mm those who had held office in Christ«toch during, the past few years. The wr .cities,had gone ahead in their Wyjopal enterprises, but Christchurch pß?emed : .,to recline in the "dob S3&/ Christchurch had been govi men. Why not iJ|habom\ a chance? He thought py'-wasworth it. He then introG. Sullivan, "out future IP?!: said. Mayoral Candidate. J»S-5.r?;'0.--Sullivan expressed appreSEP .■?*•.■■ the. compliment which fel;Wv^ers o£ Ule L »hour Party had CSff hi nominating him for the £«JS*WW Of so important an office. •gweverwere the various opinions of as to whether a should or should not id for the Mayoralty, he S> now a decision had been apposition in the Laboui be forgotten, and the pport of that partv would the Labour candidate, to the finance of the 1 he did not know why n side stated that if a Labour supporters were e Council they would roinces to chaos. This conquite unfounded, because of men, who were better e ends meet on a small the Labour man? He reperiod when a City CounMnmittee largelv compris- ' councillors, had reduced t of the citv by £BOOO. 'of that committee had d by subsequent finance w tho Council, the rateitistchurch would not now I £IO,OOO per annum for f the Council's autecedThe Labour councillors concerned in the economic Council's business as were », and the Citizens' Asadidates' allegation that d not be able to handle lances was merely an elecg*. The finances of the ?e absolutely safe in the councillors. With » constructive side of the y's platform they aimed ation of a Municipal

County Council, which would do away with all tin; expensive boards at present operating. He hoped later that i icy _ would be able to bring in to the city various outside boroughs, with one central body governing the whole. I ersonally ] ie was not. an enthusiastic supporter of the erection of a Municipal Concert Hall. If sm-h a hall were- erected, its cost should be kept :| s low as possible, because Chrisl- • hurch was badly in need of a Town Hall. Kvery large eitv in Xew 'Anbind bad one, and lie thought such ;i ■lown Hall could, if handled correctly, be erected chenplv. and would not require the pavmeni "of a rate higher than that being demanded to-dav. •Speaking of his per* -.! position, lie said it had been u -vd against his , candidature that, as he was a member of Parliament, he should not be elect■ed as Mayor of Christidiur.-h. Thi* objection had not been raised until a Labour candidate had been nominated for office. An Idealist. -Mr 1\ H. Cooke explained iliar. be was an idealist, and he believed in Labour because he thought it would eliminate that brutishncss which was so evident in Governments and the like to-day. ll e criticised the present City Council's action in adopting their water supply scheme. He criticised the water scheme, and said the Finance Committee had made a sorry j spectacle of themselves recentlv—- | Mr Armstrong: Hold oi> Fred, I'm on it! (Laughter.) Mr Cooke: "I'm sorry ! At ail events a certain member of that committee at a recent meeting held the Council up for two or three'hours over a quibble as to whether they should return a one pound note to a, certain motor driver." Continuing, he said he wanted to see an adequate housing scheme put into •operation. He also wished the Council to institnto a workshop for the manufacture of electrical appliances which would tend to make the lot of tho housewife easier. Mr Armstrong's Candidature. Mr 11. T. Armstrong, M.l\, said that j when the last elections had concluded the Labour members had been the largest party on the Council. However, the Citizens' Association had combined with the Independents, and had so arranged things that on no committee had Labour a possibility of predominance. With regard to city finance he said that in 1917 the Council employed 293 labourers and others, while to-day there were but 250, a reduction of' 43 in the past six years. Tho.number of men who did the dirty work had been reduced, but the Council had increased the number of high salaried officers. The wages paid in 1917 were £9600, while those of 1923 wcro £II,OOO. Tho Council had been neglecting the necessary work in the city. With regard to the reduction in the city's overdraft of £30,000, Cr. Flesher had forgotten to point out that last year an additional £13,000 had been collected in rates. Party Elimination Criticised. Mr R. D. Martin criticised the contention of the Citizens' Association to the effect that there should be no party matters on a Council. It was impossible to avoid party politics when there was a distinct line drawn m the Council between Capital and Labour. He criticised the Council's financial policy, and stated that there had been a loss of £7OOO during recent years on tho abattoirs, as a result of the mismanagement of the committee an charge of that department. He advocated the installation of an electricity workshop, and said that, with regard to the election of Labour councillors on the election day, several of the most important works which would be authorised by any Council would be done bv tho incoming Council. He hoped that, as far as the ratepayers of Christchurch were concerned, if they wanted the best service they should elect the Labour members.

The Hospital Board. The Rev. J. K. Archer, a candidate for the Hospital Board and the City Council, referred to the mcreas ing use made by the public of our public hospitals. The officers of the Hospital, he said, were authorised to challenge every intending patient as to his financial position, and could debar him entrance if they thought bt. This was not done in Auckland, Wellington, or Duncdin, and he just wished to point it out to the people. The charges made by medical and dental men for services were becoming too high to be within the use of the average working man. He urged the studv of the prevention of diseases rather than its cure, and said.it was essential that Labour should be represented on the Hospital Board. Ho would tell them two things, he said, which would shock them. "Do you know," he said, "that, in connexion with the Hospital Board, there have been deliberate attempts made to use the Benevolent Committee for strikebreaking for class conscious purposes? He thought that fights of this class should not take place within the Hospital Board. On several occasions men had come before the committee, and had been asked: 'Have you been to Belfast?'—this was during the strike. j to > 'Have you been to Lyttelton'?—'N.o.' 'Why not?'—'Because I don't believe in being a scab,' "Do vou know," said the speaker < if several of us had not been there these men would have been prevented from souring work?" "Then," said Mr Archer "there is a danger of a draw-ing-room department-for the rich being instituted at the Hospital. The kitchen department will be for the working men and his wife and family. "This v.-on't happen while I'm a mem ber of the Board," he concluded. At the conclusion of the speeches several questions were asked, and were answered by candidates. SUMNER MAYORALTY. Mr T E. Whitfield is announced as a 'candidate for the Mayoralty of Sumner. RANGIORA. Up till last night the following nominations had been received for seats on the Rangiora Borough vimcil: Messrs "\V R Pike, J. Lindon, W. L. Murray, R.' Mcintosh, C. S. Ayers. The last three are members of the present Council. Mr R. Mcintosh, the sitting member, has 'been nominated a BoruiiL'h representative of the Waimakariri Harbour Board. There are 909 names on the main roll and 112 on the supplementary roll, making a total of lOi'l. ASHBURTON. The nominations for the municipal elections at Ashburton are as follow: — Mayor —Mr R. Galbraith. Councillors (11 required)— Messrs J. W. Bowden, E. H. Childs,R. M. Dunlop, F. Z. D. Ferriman, W. G. Hillier, C. F. Horrell, E. Kerr, 11. R. C. McElrea, W. Page, Jas. Thompson, John Watson, and W. H. Woods. Borough representative on the Hospital Board—Messrs F. W. Watt and "W. Bryant. Borough representatives on the Ashburton Electric Power Board—Messrs F. W. Watt, W. 11. Bundle, and E. P. Nicoll (the required number). IN OTHER PLACES. New Plymouth.—Mr F. E. Wilson has been re-elected Mayor of New Ply-

(Continued at foot of next column.)

mouth unopposed. There are twentyone candidates for the Council, for which eight. are required. The retiring members of the Harbour Board have been re-elected. There are four candidates for three seats on the Hospital Board. Gore. —Mr David McDougall and Mr Dugald Poppelwell will contest the Mayoralty at Gore. Fourteen nominations have been received for twelve seats on the Council.