WARD PLAN REJECTED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20601, 27 June 1930, Page 14

WARD PLAN REJECTED.

DECISION OF CITY COUNCIL. , VOTING BY CROSS FAVOURED. •NUMBER OF COUNCILLORS. The proposal to divide th® city into wards for electoral purposes was rejected by the City Council last evening. However, it was decided that steps should be taken during the next session of Parliament to have the .Local Elections and Polls Act amended by permitting the system of voting by placing a cross against the name of the candidate the elector desires to vote for. The recommendations of a committee which had been set up to deal with the questions of wards and amendment of the electoral system were adopted. The committee was of the opinion that the disabilities at present experienced would probably be retained and might be accentuated in each of the divisions into which the present undivided area would be split up. The committee mentioned, as another matter deserving of consideration, the exercising of provisions of the Municipal Corporations Act, which would enable a reduction to be made in the total number of members of the council. Legal opinion had been obtained showing that the present law would not permit of the inclusion on ballot papers of any further information, such as the occupations or other qualifications of candidates. Miss E. Melville, who had originally asked for an inquiry into electoral methods, said the committee's proposal did not meet the difficulty that under the present system electors had no real opportunity of becoming acquainted with the candidates. The ward system should be tried. Mr. Grey Campbell said the difficulty could be met by reducing the size of the council, which there was power to do. The report was adopted.