DRAINAGE BOARD

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29748, 15 February 1962, Page 15

DRAINAGE BOARD

Independent Nominated

An independent candidate. Mr J. K Dobson, has been nominated for a vacancy on the Christchurch Drainage Board. As a result, the Christchurch Citizens’ and Ratepayers’ Association will not now put forward a candidate. Its nominations committee met last evening to consider nominees.

The Riccarton-Paparua subdistrict seat was held for the association by Mr A. I. Hancock until his death in a road accident recently. Mr Hancock was elected unopposed at the election in October. For the previous three years the district had been represented by an independent, Mr E. C. Britnell.

Nominations will close at noon tomorrow. It is probable that Mr Dobson’s will be the only one. The Labour Representation Committee in Riccarton has taken no action to select a candidate although some Labour Party member might still come forward. Mr Dobson is manager of the Crown Crystal Glass Pty.. Ltd., and a former president of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association. He was approached by Paparua county residents and asked to stand. Citizens' Attitude “Had Mr Dobson’s nomination not been made, the Citizens’ Association would have nominated a candidate, and in view of the fact that it was a seat held by a Citizens’ representative who died in office. I think it safe to assume that the Labour Representation Committee would not have put up a nominee,” said Mr H P Smith, chairman of the association's general committee, last evening. However, as Mr Dobson was a man of undoubted ability with business and residential interests in the district, the association would not wish to claim any proprietary rights in the seat. Mr Smith said “It is not part of our function to deny a good independent an opportunity to get elected, and certainly not to force an election simply to try to have someone elected to carry the Citizens’ Association banner.

“I don’t think we will put up a candidate, even if other candidates come forward, but the position would be otherwise if Mr Dobson withdrew.” Mr Smith said he had been surprised to learn of Mr Dobson’s nomination. and made it clear that he was not a Citizens-sponsored candidate.