ELECTION OF MAYOR.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14065, 20 August 1913, Page 6

ELECTION OF MAYOR.

MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATIONS' CONFERENCE. | ■ .DiyilJED OPINIONS. ; ; (Per United Press Association.).. | WELLINGTON, August-19.-; | Discussion took place at the meeting of the executive of the: Municipal Association to-day on a clause in the Municipal Corporations Amendment BUI, providing that 1 -the* Mayor of a ■borough should be ‘.■elected- by tno I Council. -A- motion was : moved by 'Mr Thompson (Jolinsoiiville) that the method of election no, as provided in the Bill. ■ ■ , ■The-Mayor of: Wellington ’(jtfr.Luke), in seconding the motion, explained that it could only go, lor what it was worth, as the Municipal Conference had thrown out the proposal. He was firmly of opinion , that the clause should'bo, passed.' tie was • »; Democrat, and believed in election by the people, but the position in Welling-, •ton--Was Ahay practically:'every time- 'a councillor svent to the people as a candidate- for'- the Mayoralty With an outrider as opponent, • the councillor was "turned , down." -•’• ' , ! ' . The motion was lost. , , I Mr l-Tctchcr, -chairman of tile Wellington, Harbour Board then ,moved that tne. election of Mayor be by municipal fran- | chise as. at - present, but that candidates should be restricted to past Mayors or to fcbiiiicilloi's. Under the present system lie stated that it .was often .the 1 man of wealth | Who was elected; 'perhaps he had ability, j perhaps he was without it; whereas a. man j who had served the. Council faithfully, and Well was- not-'elected- 1 Mr-Lock (Nelson) 1 strongly opposed 1 the motion, on the ground that it was desirable to get only the best men, irrespective <>f whether he was a councillor, or not. After discussion, the motion was lost by sc-ycn. .votes to two... ■' A, resolution was carried, by eight votes to one, that it.be a recommendation to the Government that the Mayor should be elected for a’tcrin'of 'two. years. .A proposal from St. Hilda that the Mayor should servo for twelve months on the Council after the. expiry of his term as Mayor was negatived.