ELECTION OF MAYOR

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 138, 8 December 1931, Page 8

ELECTION OF MAYOR

COUNCIL,OR PEOPLE?

ALDERMAN SYSTEM

SUGGESTION REJECTED,

The suggestion that the Mayor of the city should bo elected by the council and not by a direct, vote of the people did not meet with much support when it was raised at a meeting of the Wellington City Council last night. The question was raised during a discussion on the remits to ,be sent forward to the annual conference of the Municipal Association. . • :

Councillor1 F. Mcadpwcroft suggested that a remit should bo forwarded to the Municipal Conference upholding the principle.of the Mayor of the city being elected by the council andfnot by the people. Councillors were' :in\, the best position to judge' the fitness of a man to fill the position of Mayor, and he advocated the adoption of the system which had been adopted ■■;in Melbourne. In Melbourne councillors after a period of service wore declared aldermen and they elected the Mayor. He hoped that the remit would be sent forward for discussion. ; ,

Councillor S. Holm supported" the principle advocated- by Councillor Meadowcroft.'. In a Mayoral election at the present time two of the' best .men stood, and after the contest the /services of one of the men was lost to the City. ■'~■■ v:;:; ; : ■ ■ > Councillor R. M'Keen: /'Why, can't they nominate for the council as \yelH" Councillor Holm:"People might think that he considered he would not get in;" He pointed out that the Harbour Board appointed its chairman. Councillor W. Appleton said that the •people had the right to elect, their own Mayor. If the" Mayor was elected by the council, there might bo a lot of wire pulling, and there was. a danger that a close corporation would arise. Councillor J. N. Wallace said' that the election of the Mayor by the council had many disadvantages.. It might happen that a man who was esteemed by the citizens was not on the council, and his services would not be available if the choico was restricted to fifteen councillors.

NOT ANALOGOUS.

Councillor C. H. Chapman said that the election of a chairman of the Harbour Board could not be compared 'with' the election; of a Mayor. Some of the representatives of the Harbour Board came from as. far-away' as Palmerston North and Wairarap'a, and the election of a chairman by the people would bo a clumsy affair. It was a sound principle that the Mayor should be elected by a direct vote of the people. Councillor M'Keen also supported the election of the Mayor by the people. If the council had the power to elect tho Mayor, they would have the same wire-pulling that went on' at present in connection with the election of chairmen of committees. So long as the .Labour members were in a minority they had no chance of being chairmen of committees.

Councillor Meadowcroft: "What about Councillor Chapman? He is chairman of a committee." • .

Councillor M'Kcen said that service was not taken into account when committee chairmen were being elected, and they had the spectacle of new councillors angling for these positions, which were regarded as stepping stones to the Mayoralty. . v ■ ■ . ..'

Councillor Meadowcroft: "And the House?" (Laughter.)

Councillor M'Koen: "It is not everyone who can get there. You must have extremely high, credentials for that position." (Laughter.)

The Mayor said that his view was that the present system was the best. It had worked well, and he could not see any reason for a change. As far as Councillor Chapman's selection as chairman of-the Health Comtuittee was concerned, he was satisfied that there was no other consideration' than that he' was. the best man for the pbsition. . Councillors: '^Hearj hear!"' • y After a little""' more discussion tire question was dropped; ;■