ISTHMUS POWER BOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18018, 17 February 1922, Page 6

ISTHMUS POWER BOARD.

SELECTION OF CANDIDATES.

LOCAL BODIES CONFER.

NO PUBLICITY AT PRESENT.

The meeting of representatives of suburban local bodies, convened by tho One Tree Hill Road Board for the purpose of selecting candidates for election to the Auckland Hydro-Electric Power Board, was held at tho Chamber of Commerce last evening, the Mayor of Mount Eden, Mr. J. W. Shackelford, presiding.

It was explained at the outset that the One Treo Hill Road Board had been moved by a desire that all tho outside local bodies should bo well represented on the Power Board, but it must be understood that theso bodies were in no way antagonistic to the City Council, desiring, on tho other hand, to do all possible assist the ctty authority..

Mr. Shackelford, on being elected to the chair, said the was to get a capablo board, satisfactory to the ratepayers of the whole Power Board district. Ho stated that at the request of the Progressive Citizens' Election Committee he and others had met that body and had given a promise that the names selected by the present meeting would not be published, and he feared that the presence of the press representatives would tie their hands too much. Mr. G. E. Tansley, chairman of tho Mount Roskill Road 'Board, said ho saw no reason why the meeting should be bound by this promise. Mr. Shackelford replied that he and Messrs. Donaldson, Bennett, Chapman, and others were bound bv this promiso, and if the meeting decided that the press representatives should remain, they could not take part. Mr. Tansley asked what there was to hide, and said that had he known they were going to adopt these "hole and corner " methods he would not have attended. Mr. Shackelford explained that thore was nothing to hide, except so far as the selection of candidates was only tentative. Mr. S. Donaldson, Mayor of Newmarket, moved that the business of tho meeting be taken in committee. Mr. F. Chapman, a member of tho Ono Tree Hill Road Board, added that a great number of candidates would be proposed, and as they could not all be selected it was in the interests of all that the names should not be made public for the present. The motion was carried without dissent, and the meeting went into committee.

SEVEN NOMINATIONS RECEIVED.

A RATEPAYERS' FRANCHISE.

Seven nominations have been received so far for the 12 seats on the Auckland Hydro-Electrio Power Board, but it is expected that the candidates will bo in excess of the number required, thus necessitating an election. The election will be held on Tuesday, February 28, and nominations close at the Town Hall at noon next Monday. « The candidates nominated up to yesterday are:—Messrs. J. Park, T. Bloodworth, S. I. Crookes, S. J. Harbutt F. M. Hills, S. W. House, and E. S. Pegler. The Auckland City Council is making the arrangements for the election. The district over which the new board will exercise jurisdiction comprises the City of Auckland, the Boroughs of Onehunga, Otahffhu, Mount Albert, Mount Eden, and Newmarket, the road districts of One Tree Hill and Mount Roskill, the Town districts of Ellerslie, Papakura, Papatoetoe, and Manurewa, and the County of Mannkau. While the franchise granted in this election is limited to those whose names appear on the ratepayers' rolls, these electors will be permitted only one vote each, irrespective of the fact that they may own several properties in the district to be covered by the new board. Women have a vote in their own right

only. The franchise will tins be on the combined ratepayers* rolls of the constituent districts, making one complete roll on which the election for 12 members will be held. The city portion of the roll to be used on this occasion contains about 13,000 names, while the rolls of the other constituent districts contain an additional 14,000 names. It is intended to provide from 60 to 70 polling places, and this will necessitate the appointment of at least 200 returning officers and poll clerks. The returning officer, Mr. P. N. Notley, is making provision for suburban residents who may be in the city on the day of election "to record their votes at ft city booth. Tho samp privilege is to be ex tended to city residents who may be in any of the other districts during the hours of polling. I The new board will officially come info, existence on April 1, on which date, in I terms of the contract between the City Council and the constituent bodies, the] city electrical station will pass to the control of the new body.