WARD SYSTEM OF ELECTION

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26887, 13 November 1952, Page 12

WARD SYSTEM OF ELECTION

AUCKLAND DEFERS DECISION

AMALGAMATION PLANS AWAITED

As in Christchurch, the Auckland City Council has decided that until the Local Government Commission considers the reorganisation of the whole of the metropolitan area, any change to a ward system in the method of election of councillors would be premature. A report on the ward system of elections was presented last year to the Christchurch City Council by the Town Clerk (Mr H. S. Feast), and a copy was sent on request to the Auckland City Council when it decided to make an investigation. The Christchurch City Council held over the report until the Local Government commission’s recommendations on amalgamations had been promulgated. Election by wards is favoured by a number of Labour councillors. On the recommendation of a committee headed by the Mayor (Sir John Allum), the Auckland City Council decided not to adopt the ward system, which is widely used overseas. The Town Clerk (Mr T. W. M. Ashby), who recently returned from abroad, reported to the council on the structure of local government overseas, with particular reference to the ward system. The report was referred to a committee for consideration.

Making its recommendation, the committee reported that although the ward system would, among other things, make the elector’s choice easier, it nevertheless had its disadvantages. The council’s decision not to adopt the system was made in the face of opposition from Cr. W. Butler and others, who sought to have it introduced in time for the next elections.