CITY COUNCIL ELECTION

Southland Times, Issue 25334, 10 April 1944, Page 4

CITY COUNCIL ELECTION

Finding Candidates A Difficulty In the course of a week or two nominations will be called for candidates for the Mayoralty and for the 12 seats on the City Council, and it will be interesting to see what response is made on this occasion. All the present councillors will not be candidates for the council. Two of them, Crs W. J. Thomas and A. W. Jones, have announced their intention of standing for the Mayoralty, and others, including Crs F. A. Webb and G. Hewton, have definitely decided not to seek re-election. It is known that one or two men, who are not members of the present council, will seek election, and others are known to be considering the idea, but it may be said that at present sufficient candidates for the seats on the council are not definitely in sight. It may be. recalled that for the election three years ago, nominations came in so slowly that at one time it looked as if there would not be .sufficient candidates. Then the Citizens’ and Ratepayers’ Association announced, a full ticket and eventually 20 candidates went to the poll. The association’s choice of candidates met with considerable criticism, mainly on the ground that it was alleged to be a “Gladstone ticket.” This may have had some influence on the voting, though six of the association’s candidates were elected and a seventh, Cr G. Hewtpn, became a member of the council after Mr A. Wachner had been elected Mayor. PROSPECTS DISCUSSED In discussing the prospects for the coming election with a representative of The Southland Times, a member of the Citizens’ and Ratepayers’ Association said that the greatest difficulty was experienced in getting a full “ticket” for the last election. Many men who were asked to stand refused to do so and it was a pure accident that a number of those who agreed to stand happened to live in Gladstone. The association had had no intention of getting a “Gladstone clique" on the council, as had been alleged. The association did not decide on a “ticket” until it seemed possible that there would not be sufficient candidates for the council. It wanted to counter this apathy and had no other motive. The association had not given any directions to its candidates or asked them to subscribe to any particular policy. It had selected men who, in the association’s opinion, would give good service to the city. So far the association had not decided on any course of action for the forthcoming election, the member of the association added. ♦

It is understood, however, that it is possible that the association will again have a'“ticket.” The Labour Representation Committee has discussed the question of a Labour “ticket,” but it is ’understood that,' so 'far, no definite decision has been reached. A well-known business man, who has been , mentioned as a possible candidate for the council, indicated, when he. was questioned' on the matter, that he was not very keen on standing. He said that councillors were targets for too much criticism from ill-informed or malicious persons. It was a poor . reward for a man who was. giving up his time and doing his best for the city to- be charged with having ulterior motives for his actions.