LOCAL BODY ELECTION

Taranaki Daily News, 27 April 1932, Page 5

LOCAL BODY ELECTION

TARANAKI ARRANGEMENTS

NOMINATIONS CLOSING TO-DAY.

EXTRAORDINARY POLL IN EGMONT

Once every three years on the second Wednesday in May county ratepayers throughout the Dominion are called upon °to elect local body representatives to, serve for the next three years. In most districts, as a rule, apathy is displayed towards the elections unless perhaps in cases where there is some personal grievance or some purely local subject is looming on the horizon. This year, however, ratepayers should take a live interest in the coming elections as never was it more necessary that the best men available should be put in charge of the expenditure of public money, particularly in a time when there is a strong movement-for the abolition of some local bodies, or at least the amalgamation of many of ' them.

To-day should be regarded by Egmont county ratepayers as a most important one, as it marks the occasion on which ratepayers of the county will be called upon to elect six members for two of the ridings, whilst with one or two exceptions nominations close at noon to-day for all county councils, hospital boards, harbour, boards ■ and power boards in Taranaki. The exceptions are the Hawera County Council, nominations for which close on Thursday at noon, and of the Opunake Harbour Board, the nominations for whi?h close on Friday at noon. , POSITION IN EGMONT. The reason that the Egmont county election takes place to-day instead, of coinciding with the Dominion elections on May Al is that during the year in order to arrive at a more equitable basis of representation the council altered the ridings from four to three, with the result that the old council went out of office on March 31, necessitating an extraordinary election. As that is being held so close to the general elections of local bodies the council elected to-day will carry on until the general election in 1935. The two Eo-mont county representatives on the Taranaki Hospital Board and the five on the Opunake Power Board will retain their seats on those bodies for three years, as no provision is made for an election in their case, except at a general county election, which is not beincr held in Egmont this year. There will,° however, be an election for six members of the Opunake Harbour Board on May 11 and nominations close at noon on Friday.

Recognising that in -these times farmers, howeve° desirous of doing so, may not be able to pay their rates, the Government is introducing legislation to remove the voting disqualification on ratepayers whose rates have been in arrears since March 30, 1930. That legislation will not be introduced in time for to-day’s Egmont county election, but the principle will be carried out in that election also and if necessary validating legislation will be introduced. Previously any ratepayer in arrears with his rates could not exercise his votes at a county election, but this, year arrears as regards the last two years will not be a bar. For to-day’s Egmont county election the withdrawal of Mr. G. E. Goodwin does away with the necessity of an election in the north riding, for which Messrs. W. C. Green (chairman of the last council), A. J. Lilley (member), and T. Willcox have been declared elect-

ed. For the central riding there are four nominations for the three seats Messrs. George Gibson, E. G. Holmes, James Young (retiring members) and J. S. Hickey. There will be polling booths at Rahotu, Oaonui and Opnnake. For the south riding there are five nominations for the three seats—Messrs. E. A. Collins, J. F. Shepherd, J. S. Tosland (retirino- members), J. D. Conaglen and 9 R? Farquhar. There will be. polling booths at Awatuna, Te Kiri, Pihama and Opunake. NOMINATIONS TO-DAY. Nominations close at noon to-day for the following elections:— Taranaki County Council: One member each in Omata and Mangorei ridings, three Waitara riding, and two Okato riding, as well as two. representatives on the Taranaki Hospital Board and two representatives on the New Plymouth Harbour Board for the Taranaki, Egmont and Inglewood counties. Clifton County Council: One representative each for the Mokau, Waihi and Uruti ridings and two each for Urenui and Tikorangi ridings, as well as one representative on the Taranaki Hospital Board and one on the Taranaki Power Board. Inglewood {jounty Council: Two members for the north riding, three for the south and west ridings and one for the east riding, as well as one representative on the Taranaki Hospital Board and one representative on the Taranaki Power Board.

Stratford County Council: Two representatives each for the north, south, east and west ridings and one each for the Alangaehu and Ngatimaru ridings, as well as three representatives on° the Taranaki Power Board, five representatives on the Stratford, Hospital Power Board and one representative on the New Plymouth Harbour Board for the Stratford and 'Whangamomona counties.

Whangamomona County Council: .Two members each for the Strathmore, central and Tahora ridings and one for the Pohokura riding, as well as one representative for the Stratford Hospital Board.

Eltham County Council: Three representatives for the Alangatoki riding and two each for the Kaponga and Eltham ridings, and one each for - the Omona and south ridings, as well as two on the Taranaki Power Board and two on the Hawera Hospital Board and one on the New Plymouth Harbour Board to represent those portions of the Hawera and Eltham counties.

Waimate County: Four members for the Waimate riding and three for the Kaupokonui riding, as well as two rerepresentatives on the South Taranaki Power Board and two on the Hawera Hospital Board. There is also one member to be elected to represent the Waimate county and Manaia town district on the New Plymouth Harbour Board.

Patea County Council: Two members each for the Waverley and Moumahaki ridings, one for the Kapara riding and four for the Otoia riding. The following nominations close on Thursday at noon:—

Hawera County Council: Hawera and Alokoia ridings, three members each, and Ararata riding two members, as well as three representatives on the South Taranaki Power Board, three members on the Hawera Hospital Board and one member on the Patea Harbour Board. The following nominations close on Friday at noon:— Egmont county: Six members for the Opunake Harbour Board.