EXTENDING THE CITY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11671, 11 April 1916, Page 5

EXTENDING THE CITY.

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION. ITS EFFECT BKHRISTCHURCH. The City By-laws Committee's recommendations on tho Proposed Greater Christchurch Empowering Bi I,.which were considered at tho Cbnstchurc City Council meeting ** were adopted, contained the, following clause in regard to the principle of, proportional representation : , For the purpose of electing councillors on tho principle of proportional representation, the committeo considers tho city should be divided into two awards, tho diviai ing line to be Worcester Street from Rolleston Avenue to Linwood Avenue, thence along Linwood Avenue to Buckley's Road, and thence along Buckley's Road to the eastern boundary, the wards to be named north and south ward respectively. - Councillor A. S. Taylor, who some time ago suggested tho two wards idea, was seen by a "Star" reporter this morning in regard to the question of proportional representation. I Mr Taylor said that the suggestion I which had been luade would have no effect in working on tho system ot election, and, as he understood Jt, the suggested change was in the direction of making the election less complicated. Under the suggestion, instead of tho city polb'ng as one ward, as would be the case if the law remained unaltered, it would poll as two wards and'return eight members iu each. Tho alterations had been suggested with a view to the further extension of the city, and when that took place no doubt the number of members of the council would be increased, and, conse--1 quently, some difficulty might bo experienced by electors in voting. In the city of Johannesburg, where municipal elections were conducted on the system proposed, said Mr Taylor, there were two wards, he | believed, speaking from memory, ten members each. Apparently this system had been found much more convenient in Johannesburg than polling the city as ono ward. Personally Mr Taylor did not think there was any need for the Christchurch City Council to press for the suggested clause, as it had been found that the local election was quite efficiently conducted by polling the city as one ward. Councillor Sullivan, said Mr Taylor, suggested that the clause should receive further consideration at tho council's next! meeting, but on Mr Taylor's motion it had been decided to proceed with the Empowering Bill as it stood, and if the council so desired the clause in regard to proportional representation could be dropped.