THE TECHNICAL COLLEGE.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20828, 11 April 1933, Page 10

THE TECHNICAL COLLEGE.

<*• ELECTION FOR BOARD. COUNCILLOR REFUSES TO BIND HIMSELF. A City Councillor chosen by the council to represent the council at a meeting to elect a representative of local bodies on the Technical College Board, refused to bind himself to vote for the council's nominee for the vacancy- This attitude was taken up by Cr. T. H. Butterficld at the meeting of the City Council last evening. He explained that when the new member of the board—to till the seat rendered vacant by the death of Mr W. R. Gahagan—took his scat he would be the representative of many local bodies besides the City Council. After discussion the council agreed that Cr. Butterfield should be its representative to v.ote at the meeting called to elect the new member of the board, and Cr. M. E. Lyons was nominated as the council's candidate. The Mayor (Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P.) said that so far Mr A. G. W. Williams had been nominated by the Heathcote County Council, and Mr W. G. Chapman by the Waimairi County Council. Cr. J. K. Archer moved that Cr. Butterfield should be the council's representative, and should be instructed to vote for a councillor if one was nominated, and, if not, for Mr A. E. G. Williams. Free Hand Wanted. Cr. Butterfield said if he went to the meeting as the council's representative he wished to have a free hand. He could not agree to act if he was to be bound to support the council's nominee. There were 15 other local bodies concerned in filling the office, and the elected member would represent them all. Cr. J. McCombs said he understood tne rule had been in the past that if any question of representation of the council arose, support should preferentially be given to a member of the council. But in the present case the election was for a representative not of the City Council alone, but of many local bodies jointly. The difficulty was that at the moment the council did not know who were the candidates for election. There might yet be 20 nominees. Replying to a question from the Mayor (Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P.), Cr. Lyons said he would be nominated by other local bodies if the City Council did not nominate him. The other bodies had not done so yet, pending action by the council. Cr. A. A. McLachlan then nominated Cr. Lyons, the motion being seconded by Cr. A. I. Fraer. Cr. J. W. Beanland said it had to be considered that the council voted about £3OO a year to the Technical College. It should, he thought, have direct representation on the board, for though Cr. G. T. Thurston was a member of the board, he acted on it as the representative of another body. "The council has its representative on the board in Mr McGregor Wright, the local bodies' member," said Cr. J. McCombs. Spreading Representation. Cr. Thurston: It seems to me it might be wise to spread the representation, and let a member of one of the other bodies have the opportunity of election. "It is known that the City Council is inclined to seize on everything for itself, and to centralise as much as it can at ihe council table," said Cr. E. R. McCombs. Cr. Lyons explained that he had not wished to be nominated by outside bodies, three of which would do so, until the council decided. It would place him in a peculiar position, as a member of the council, if he was nominated from outside.

The motion to nominate Cr. Lyons was then carried, and Cr. Butterfield was appointed the council's representative at the electoral meeting. "I take it the council is prepared to trust itself to me." said Cr. Butterfield. "I'll vote for the best man there." "I'm quite prepared to take Cr. Butterfield's assurance,'' remarked Cr. Lyons.