Election Costs Queried

Press, Volume C, Issue 29682, 28 November 1961, Page 16

Election Costs Queried

Because of the small poll for the Christchurch Transport Board election the finance committee is to inquire into methods of conducting future elections. It is to investigate the practicability of bolding the election on the same day as the local bodies’ elections. The board made this decision yesterday after discussing a report on the costs of the last election, on the motion of Mr W S. Mac Gibbon. The report said that the cos* of conducting the election amounted to £BlO5 Is 7d, or £1 2s 3d a vote cast The cost of producing the roll was £5OO less than the previous election because the roll was printed in the

board’s printing department The finance committee recommended that the returning officer Mr J. F. Fardell, the general manager, be paid £l5O for the 1961 election and that a further £25 be paid to the traffic manager (Mr H Pointer) for their extra work in connexion with the election and printing of the roll Mr R H Stillwell said he considered the £l5O to be “excessive remuneration” for the returning officer. He had been paid £lOO for the previous election. The board was being too generous if it gave "such a big jump” when the returning officer did his workin the board's time, in working hours, except for a couple of hours on the election dry The chairman (Mr E J Bradshaw) and Mr A. J Woodward: “Rubbish!”

Mr H. E. Denton said the previous board had paid the returning officer £lOO and he would like to know how much extra work the returning officer had done in the last election in his own tame Mr Bradshaw said the returning officer had done an “enormous amount of overtime.” The board had saved £5OO by printing the roll itself. "As to any action in cutting down remuneration because of the apathy of Christchurch citizens towards the poll, that is as unfair as it is ridiculous.” he said. The board adopted the recommendation by the finance committee concerning the payment to Messrs Fardell and Pointer. Mr Stillwell asking that his vote be recorded against the motion.