CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 148, 19 December 1907, Page 8

CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

0 ' The Wellington and Wairarapa Charitable Aid Board met to-day. PresentMessrs. D. M'Laren (chairman), F. Cohen, and W. H. Morrah. amounting to £430 were passed for payment. - The circular from Dr. Valintine, notifying that a conference of members of Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards would be held next year for the purpose of discussing the Amending Act t? be introduced next session, was read. It was decided to defer consideration of the matter till the statutory meeting in .March next TROUBLE ABOUT AN ELECTION. Mr. George Moore, clerk of the ' Pahiatua County Council, wrote advising the board that Councillor R. Smith had been appointed a member of the board for the combined districts of Eketahuna, Akitio, Castlepo'mt,, Mauriceville, and Pahiatua counties, and Eketahuna and Pahiatua Borough Councils. The clerk of the ■ Eketahuna Borough wrote stating that the election had been irregular. The borough's representative (Councillor Wise) attended at the place and tima (2.15 pirn.) for the election, but discovered subsequently that the election had taken place about noon. - In reply to enquiries by the board as s to tho correctness of this allegation, Mr. Moore (who acted as presiding officer), wrote admitting tho facts. He pointed out, however, that all the delegates, of whose appointment he had notice', were present when the- election took place. The delegates accordingly asked him to proceed with tho election to save them the trouble of coining down to the office in the afternoon,' as the building is situated at some distance from the centre of the town. Had Councillor Wise attended Mr. Moore stated that he would not have allowed him to • take part in th? proceedings, seeing that he had no '. ''ca of Councillor Wias's appointment. Th-e fault was with the Eketahuna Borough Council for not notifying the appointment of its delegate. The writer of the letter also stated that he had never been asked whether he would act as presiding officer. He also pointed out that Councillor Smith was unanimously elected by six votes, and that the vote of the Eketahuna Borough Council could not have altered the re suit. The Eketahuna Borough Council in turn wrote, stating that unless it was given the right to exercise Its vote for representation on the board, it would decline to recognise any liability to contribute to the funds of the board. As a result of this storm in a, teapot the Inspector-Gfneral of Hospitals intimated that another election would have to be held.