ELECTION OF MAYOR.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 5, 6 July 1910, Page 7

ELECTION OF MAYOR.

BY COUNCIL OR PEOPLE. CONFERENCE DECIDES FOR PEOPLE.

The question of the method by which the Mayor of a large city should be elected, dealt with on the first day oJ the Municipal Conference, came up before the delegates again to-day in a re^ mit from "Wellington. This was moved by Mr. J. J. Dsvine, as follows :—: — "That in a borough having a population of not less than 50>000 the council shall elect a Mayor from among their number." The arguments used by the mover anc his supporters were largely a reiteratioi of the arguments used in the earlier dis cussion. It was urged that the experi ence of the Old Country and Australia was 1 sufficient to justify New Zealanc falling into line. There was nothing undemocratic in the principle of electing the Itiayor through the council. Mr Sidney Webb ; of the London Countj Council, was cited in support. Th< experience of a councillor was very de sirable in the chief officer of fhe council Opponents of the motion strongly ex pressed their opinion that it would be i retrograde step and generate cliquism The election of the chief citizen bj citizens was the plan that New Zealanc experience of many years essentially ap proved. No danger was to be appre hended of the evils of American muni cipal life, as the Mayor in America hat a great deal more power than the Mayo in New Zealand. The motion was losti by a heav> majority.