ELECTION. COSTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1132, 20 May 1911, Page 4

ELECTION. COSTS.

HARBOUR BOARD A+XD CITY COUNGIL.' The chairman of tho Harbour Board (Mr. R. Fletcher) is resolute in contending that the City Council, in assessing Hie share in the cost ol the lato election to bo borne by the board, has mado an extortionate demand. "I could not get ttiiyono to support mc last night," 6aid Mr. Fletcher yesterday, referring to proceedings at' tho meeting of tho City Council, "bu.t 1 don't intend to let tho matter drop." Tho amount which-the council proposes to charco tho board is £158 16s. 9d„ of which siim £49 ss, 6d. tva-j expended in printing, l advertising, and so forth. In 1910, Mr. Fletcher stated, the board conducted an election of members on its own account at an expense of £150. The cost of tho 1908 Harbour Board election was £119. Mr. Fletcher claims that tho clause in the Harbours Amendment Act, passed last year, which provides for holding the ejection ol Harbour Board members and City Councillors on tho same day, and empowers tho City Council to recover Irom tho Harbour Board any "extra, additional expense" that may be incurred through co-ordinating the election, was intended by the Government to cheapen Die cost of elections to Harbour Boards. As a matter of fact, however, this intention would bo defeated in this case of tho Wellington Board, if the' City.Council had its way. Mr. Fletcher reiterated that tho demand of the council would not ho met by the board. Tho sum applied for was about twico what it should havo been, and, if necessary, tho matter would bo referred to tho Auditor-General for adjudication'i Tho total cost of the. Wellington- Harbour Board election, added tho chairman, would amount to something between a thousand and twelve hundred: pounds. Tho cost of preparing rolls and so forth, in tho counties, had necessarily'- been heavy, but the board had -hoped that expenses in tlio city, at least, would bo light. • "Apparently," concluded- Mr. Fletcher, "tho City Council ' simply thinks tho Harbour Board is a i)iilcn cow, but, personally, I want to seo fair play between two local bodies. The view taken by tho City''Council is that tho sum it is proposed to.recover fioin tho Harbour Board is reasonable, in view of the late extension in tho franchise. Challenging this view, Mr. Fletcher maintains that tho cost of oxtra booths would in any cass havo been incurred by tho council in conducting its own election, and is not in equity chargeable against tlio Harbour Board.