“NOT DEMOCRACY.”

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 563, 17 September 1932, Page 13

“NOT DEMOCRACY.”

Municipal Franchise is Strongly Criticised. HON C. E. MACMIDLAN’S VIEW. (Special to the " Star.”) AUCKLAND, September 16. Criticism of the franchise in boroughs and town districts, in that it permits of residential qualifications in the elections of councils and boards, was expressed by the Hon C. E. Macmillan at Normanby yesterday. If the principle were extended, Mr Macmillan said, New Zealand would not be worth living in. The question was raised by Mr D. Hughes, who said there was nothing to prevent the control of a town getting into the hands of a board entirely composed of residents not ratepayers. That was what was called democracy. The Minister said the residential qualification was an instalment of democracy. The final instalment would be that ratepayers would have no vote at all. He was being perfectly serious, since he had heard even that argued. Allowing anyone over twenty-one years to vote was all right while everything was on the up grade, but when depression came and they had to pay for their sins and the policy of the past they could see their mistakes. Socalled democracy could put the country into bankruptcy. They knew there had been extravagance in cities and boroughs, yet there was a persistent effort to have the same franchise in counties. If the franchise were thus extended, God help New Zealand. No property would be worth having and owners might just as well get out of the country.