BY-ELECTION LIKELY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 67, 20 March 1940, Page 4

BY-ELECTION LIKELY

WANGANUI CITY COUNCIL lAN INDEPENDENT INTENDS TO STAND Although there were hopes yesterday that the ratepayers of the city would be spared the expense of a byelection to fill two extraordinary vacancies on the City Council, the indications now are that there will be an election, an independent candidate, Mr. R. J. Jackson, having announced his intention to stand. Yesterday, the Labour Party nominated Mr. W. Searle, of Wanganui East. His nomination was signed by the Mayor (Mr. W. J. Rogers) and Mr. R. P. Andrews, president of the Labour Representation Committee. Mr. Searle topped the list of beaten candidates at the council election in 1938. was in fact elected on the first count, but was displaced when the official recount was made. Mr. Jackson, who announced yesterday that he intended to stand, said he would be allied to no party. He was manager of the Wanganui Sash and Door Company for 15 years. No meeting of the Citizens’ Committee to discuss the two vacancies will be held until after Easter. If no nomination is made by the Citizens an election will be avoided. At present it is believed a nomination will be made. The two vacancies on the council have been brought about by the death of Cr. H. Lawrence (Labour) and the resignation of Cr. C. N. Armstrong (Citizens), who is going overseas on active service with the Second Echelon. ELECTION ON A SATURDAY LEAD TO BE SET MUNICIPALITIES If there is to be a by-election to till two vacancies on the Wanganui City Council it will be held on a Saturday (April 13). This will be the first occasion that a municipal election has been held on a Saturday in New Zealand. A lead as to Saturday elections was set by the Government in 1938, when the Parliamentary elections were held on that day of the week for the first time in the Dominion. In Australia it had been a common practice to hold elections on Saturdays, the view taken being that it did not upset the work of the week to such an extent as elections on any other day.