HOSPITAL BOARD VACANCY

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22182, 27 August 1937, Page 10

HOSPITAL BOARD VACANCY

CITY COUNCIL WILL

FILL SEAT

DISPUTE EXPECTED OVER

NOMINATION

It is likely that an interestmg d»spute will develop over the Probtan of filling the vacancy on the North Canterbury Hospital Board caused by the death of the Rev. F. T. Read. The vacancy will be filled not by a by-election, but by the Chrxstchurch CUy Council, which, as the local authority of the district »volved has the right to fill the seat. The two political parties on the councu have Seir own, and naturally conflictog. views about who should receive the nomination, and already a good deal of feeling has apparently been caused over these differing views The name of Mr H. F. Herbert, a prominent city businessman, is being mentioned as the likely nominee favoured by the Christchurch Citizens' Association. The association has a majority of members on the council, and in council and Labour quarters it is generally accepted that Mr Herbert will secure the nomination. But at the same time Labour members of the council are likely to make a strong bid for the nomination to go to a Labour supporter. It- is considered by the Labour councillors and in Labour Party headquarters that Mrs I Parlane, a former member of the board and a defeated Labour candidate in the last board elections, should receive the nomination. Mro Parlane would secure the seat if the normal procedure was followed and the vacancy given to the candidate highest on the ust of defeated candidates in the election. She is the next eligible defeated candidate. The nearest Citizens Association candidate among those defeated (Mr D. W. Russell) was fifth on the list. Mrs Parlane's claim for the seat is considered to be strengthened by her previous experience on the board. She was a member at the time of the elections in May, 1935, and was not heavily defeated. It is stated that Citizen Association councillors are themselves divided about the' issue, some contending that an association candidate in the last board election should get the nomination. The Christchurch City Council will discuss the position at its next meeting. So far the committee from which any recommendation will come, the finance committee, has not yet considered what will be done.