LOCAL BODY ELECTIONS

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29145, 4 March 1960, Page 10

LOCAL BODY ELECTIONS

Move To Alter

Regulations

To prevent people wasting their votes in local body elections and polls on candidates who would not be able to fill the positions to which they were elected, the Waimairi County Council has proposed that the legislation be altered to allow candidates to retire within 14 days of an election in cases where they can satisfy the returning officer that because of their health or because their future would be affected they cannot take up a position. Mr A. R. Blank put this proposal to the annual meeting of Ward 11 of the New Zealand Counties’ Association yesterday* in the form of a remit to the New Zealand Counties’ Conference.

A nominee for a seat on the Waimairi County Council had had to resign before the election last year, said Mr Blank, but his resignation came later than was allowed by the present regulation. His name had to be printed on the ballot paper and his council felt that many persons wasted their votes.

The other nominee was declared elected and the Department of Internal Affairs was asked to comment on the legality of the move, Mr Blank said. The department had replied that legally the candidate could not withdraw after the prescribed day but that the Department felt the right course had been taken in declaring the other nominee elected without a poll. The meeting agreed that the remit should go forward to the conference. Responsibility For Control After rejecting a remit from the Springs County that in areas where the low incidence of rabbits did not justify the setting up of a Rabbit Board the Rabbit Board Act be available to a county or group of counties, the meeting approved a Paparua County Council remit that the New Zealand Counties’ Association urge the Government to make the control of rabbits the responsibility of counties rather than rabbit boards.

Mr J. H. Weeber proposed, on behalf of the Paparua County Council, that a remit should go forward to the conference to the effect that the association should urge the Government to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Local Authority Finance that exemption from rating now enjoyed by the Crown and other property should be substantially reduced. Mr Weeber said that in his county there was Crown property worth £4 million which the council was not able to rate. This made up 19 per cent, of the area of the county. The meeting decided to forward the remit