CASH DEPOSIT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 92, 18 April 1929, Page 8

CASH DEPOSIT

NOMINATIONS OF CANDIDATES CLOSING DAY TO-DAY Under section 19 of the “Municipal Corporations Act 1920,” every candidate for the office of Mayor or Councillors shall, at the time of nomination, deposit with the returning officer the sum of £lO in the case of the Mayor, and £3 in the case of the Councillor. Upon the question as to whether these deposits must be made in cash or by cheque, the city solicitor, Air W. J. Treadwell, has furnished an opinion that payments must be in cash. The object of the section of the Act was to enable the Council to claim the deposit of any candidate not polling oneeighth of the votes polled by the lowest, successful. If a cheque werz accepted it was conceivable that the cheque might not be met ami the Council then would be unable to recover the amount. A further question submitted to Air Treadwell was whether the deposit moneys should be handed oxer by the returning officer to the treasurer to be paid into the. district fund. Tn his opinion, that was the proper course to follow. If a candidate forfeited his deposit, it would become the property of the Council. Jn the event of moneys not being forfeitable, they would be returned by cheques on the district fund to the persons entitled to receive them. The procedure of receiving deposits in cash has been adopted by the returning officer, Air A. F. London, not. only in regard to the municipal elections, but. also for the Harbour Board, Hospital Board, Electric. Power Board and River Trust d ctioiis. Nominations in connection with these local bodies close at noon to-day. The number of candidates is expected to exceed those of previous years. A greatly increased interest is also shown on the part of the (doctors and preparations are in hand for a heavy poll.