ELECTION TO FILL COUNCIL VACANCY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19014, 8 March 1930, Page 7

ELECTION TO FILL COUNCIL VACANCY.

LIKELY TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY. APRIL 1

Although the date for the by-election to fill the vacancy on the City Council, caused by the death of Councillor P. W. Sharpe, has not yet been fixed, it is practically certain that it will be Tuesday, April 1. Section 42 of the Local Elections and Polls Act, 1925, which provided that the date for the holding of a by-eleo tion to fill an extraordinary vacancy must be not less than twenty, and not more than twenty-five days after the occurrence of such vacancy, was amended by Section 15 of the Amendment Act. As the law now stands the date of the by-election must be not less than twenty-five and not more than twentyeight days after the vacancy occurs. As the vacancy occurred on Tuesday, March 4, the date of the election must be fixed for Saturday, March 29, Monday, March 31, or Tuesday, April 1. The date most likely to be chosen is April 1. In this case the supplementary roll will close on Tuesday, March 18. Already a number of new enrolments have been received by the officers of the City Council, and it is expected that considerable activity in this direction will take place next week. The roll to be used for the by-election will be substantially the same as that used at the election last year, with the addition of the names on the supplementary list. The Citizens’ Association has not yet made any move in regard to the selection of a candidate, but a decision is expected early next week. The general opinion is that the choice will fall on Mr William Hayward, who, it is understood, is willing to enter the field. WHERE P.R. SYSTEM MIGHT BE IMPROVED. Mr -J. M’Combs, M.P., an authority on electoral matters, thinks that if the ballot papers on which the late Cr P. W. Sharpe received effective preferences under P.R. could be applied to the problem of finding his successor from among those who were eliminated . at the ballot, the Labour Party would win the seat. “Personally,” he said to-day, “I think the Labour Party is entitled to fill the vacancy on the council caused

by the regretted death of Cr P. W. Sharpe. Unfortunately there is no provision under our proportional representation rules for filling a vacancy except by resort to the first-past-the-post method, which in the circumstances is most unfair.

“In other countries under P.R. supernumeraries are appointed at time of the general election, or provision is made for access to the general election ballot papers for the purpose of ascertaining who the electors would have voted for in the absence of the deceased or retired representative. The numerals on each ballot paper would clearly indicate the next choice. “A Bill introduced by Mr Veitch some years ago had such a provision, and if it could be applied in the present case it is almost certain that one cf the eliminated Labour candidates would be elected. “I think every effort should be made to avoid the cost of an election.”