TRANSPORT POLL LIKELY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 837, 4 December 1929, Page 6

TRANSPORT POLL LIKELY

MR. MORTON’S RESIGNATION QUALIFICATIONS OF VOTERS The first election of a member of the Transport Board by the people since the formation of the board, will be held if necessary on Monday, December 30. The poll if it is required results from the resignation of Mr. F. S. Morton, which was announced yesterday. The district concerned. No. 3 area, comprises the Borough of Oneliunga, the road districts of One Tree Hill. Mount Roskill, Mount Wellington and Panmure toxt-nship, and the town district of Ellerslie. Mr. Morton has resigned in order to proceed shortly to South Africa for health reasons. His resignation took effect from yesterday. Ho was elected on December 17, last year, on the votes of members of the local bodies mentioned, the Transport Act, 1925, allowing this method of election until May 31 last. If a member resigned or the seat became vacant after that date the act required an election. The period of office of nominated members is ordinarily until May 1931, when the first general election will be held. Tlie returning officer, Mr, W. St. J. Clarke, who is secretary to the Transport Board, has fixed the closing time for nominations at noon on December 19. The right to vote is the same as that possessed by the electors with respect to their own local bodies. Thus, in Oneliunga and Ellerslie town district, where the municipal franchise obtains, ratepayers and residents over 21 years who have been in the district for three months and whose names are on the rolls, will be entitled to vote to fill the Transport Board vacancy. In the road districts, the franchise for the election of the road boards is confined to ratepayers, those with a property valuation of not more than £I,OOO having one vote, a valuation up to £2,000 carrying the right to two votes, and over £2,000 three votes. These rights also obtain in the election of representatives on the Auckland Hospital Board, the Electric-Power Board and the Harbour Board. AWKWARD POLLING DATE Coining as it does right in the middle of the holiday season the poll, if one Is necessary, will be found very awkward for voters. However, Mr. Clarke had practically no option but to fix the date chosen. The resigning member has virtually compelled the selection of December 30. The Local Elections and Polls Act prescribes that the election shall be held not earlier than 25 days after the date of the creation of the vacancy, and not later than 28 days later. Dated December 2, the resignation was placed in Mr. Clarke’s hands yesterday and took effect immediately. Counting the clear days, the choice for the date of election was narrowed to Sunday, December 29, which is impossible, to December 30, or to the following day, New Year’s Eve, which is undesirable. Therefore, the only practicable date was Monday, December 30.

The fact that Mr. G. E. Tansley, a member of the Mount Roskill Road Board, has announced his intention to be a candidate and that there is every possibility that others will be in the iield indicates the likelihood of ail election. It is said that Mr. R. G. Clark, a member of the One Tree Hill Road Board, will be a candidate.