CHRISTCHURCH MAYORALTY

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25713, 27 January 1949, Page 4

CHRISTCHURCH MAYORALTY

Complication Of Centennial ELECTION MAY BE POSTPONED More detailed planning for the celebration of the centennial of Canterbury, expected to follow the meeting this afternoon of the general committee of the Celebrations Association. will increase interest in the mayoralty of Christchurch during the major celebrations. It has been suggested that the election on this occasion may be postponed by an amendment to the law. Unless the law is altered. Mr E. H. Andrew’s will complete his third term of office as mayor on the third Wednesday in November, 1950, November 16. The centennial of Canterbury will be observed on December 16. If the local body elections are held in November, 1950. the new Mayor, who will not have been in control of the arrangements for the centennial celebrations, will be in office, for only about three weeks after his installation before the main centennial events. He will have to superintend a programme, probably lasting six months, of national events. Mr Andrew’s created a record when he was elected for a third three-year term as Mayor. The question of his third term's ending so close to tne opening of the centennial celebrations was not considered when the Citizens’ Association’ nominated him. It has now been raised by the necessity to prepare for the celebrations.

Fourth Term not Expected Although he has made no public statement, Mr Andrews has at no stage contemplated contesting the mayoralty for a fourth term. Even if approaches were made to him, in the event of the Christchurch local body elections being held in November, 1950, he would, without doubt, refuse to accept nomination. Mr Andrews would not make any individual effort to have his term of office extended by an amendment io the Local Elections and Polls Act postponing the elections in Christchurch only, because of the circumstances, io. say. May, 1951. Any sucn move, it is already clear, must be made on the initiative of the City Council as a whole. Councillors have been discussing the situation of the Mayor and council who arranged the celebrations retiring on their eve. The completion of two years of work would be left to a Mayor and council who have had no close association with the arrangements.

“It would be swopping horses in mid-stream,” said one- councillor. “Those who do all the work to the final stages should see the work through to the end.” Likely Candidates Four councillors who are already being mentioned as likely successors to Mr Andrews as the Citizens’ Association’s nominee for the mayoralty are conveners of centennial committees and members of the general committee. They are the Deputy-Mayor (Cr. J. N. Clarke) convener of the sports committee), Crs. J. E. Tait (convener of the pageantry and entertainment committee), J. L. Hay (convener of the musical ccfrnmittee), and W. S. Mac Gibbon (convener of the finance and souvenir committee). Although Cr. Tait is chairman of the council’s finance committee, he is not at the head of the finance committee for the centennial celebrations. Although Cr. Hay was defeated by 13 votes to seven by Cr. Clarke in the election for Deputy-Mayor when the present council was elected, a similar result is not expected when the Citizens’ Association on the nomination for the mayoralty at the end of next year. When Cr. Clarke was appointed Deputy-Mayor, his nomination was made by Mr Andrews and Cr. Tait projfosed Cr. Hay. Cr. Mac Gibbon voted with the Mayor. Cr. Mac Gibbon has since become a contender against Crs. Hay and Tait for the Citizens’ Association’s nomination for the mayoralty. Mr M. E. Lyons has also to be considered. Although he stood at the election in 1947 as an independent against Mr Andrews, he was soon afterwards re-elected as a vice-presi-dent of the Citizens’ Association and is still a prominent member. Mr Lyons holds a high reputation for his knowledge of municipal law and activities.