NOT TO BE HELD

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 136, 11 June 1942, Page 6

NOT TO BE HELD

tOGAL BODY BYELECTIONS

MAYORS EXCEPTED

Regulations were issued today for the purpose of avoiding the holding of local body by-elections during the war by requiringl local authorities to appoint qualified persons to fill such vacancies as occur.

The Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr. Parry) said that where a vacancy occurred in the office of Mayor of a

borough, an election would rtiU require to be held' in the normal way. Where, however, the vacancy occurred in the office of a member of a local authority and an; election. would nor-mally-require to be held, the new. regulations provided that an election should not be held. The local authority was required to fill the vacancy by the appointment of a person who possessed the necessary qualifications under the relevant statute. If the appointment was not made within two months of the happening of the vacancy, provision was made for the Governor-General to make the required appointment.

Mr. Parry said the regulations were designed to avoid the inevitable distraction in local districts caused by by-elections in the present emergency conditions. A considerable saving of paper would be effected and expenditure avoided which could be devoted to more essential purposes. * ;