The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News and the Morning News WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 1875.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1698, 28 July 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News and the Morning News

WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 1875.

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Our Christchurch telegrams yesterday stated that the Hon. Mr. Richardson, M.H.R., had telegraphed to the City Council inquiring if the members desired any alteration in th e Municipal Corporations Act with reference to the election of Mayor, and the Council had replied favoring the election of the Mayor by the people but limiting their choice to members of the Council. That some reform in the present system of Mayoral elections is required seems generally to ba admitted. The City. Councils in small communities like the chief centres of population in this colony are composed of so few members that the Mayoral elections are usually little back-parlour affairs, which, naturally enough, are not in very great favour with the noble army of burgesses. The majority of citizens desire, we believe, to have some more direct influence than at present in the choice of the chief city magistrate, but it must also be borne in mind that the members of Council are those who will have to work , with the Mayor, and. they are entitled to great consideration in making the choice. Moreover, citizens cannot expect gentlemen to put up with all the drudgery pertaining to the management of city affairs, while some ornamental, inexperienced, or, it may be, obnoxious outsider steps in and eats the plum. The election of the Mayor by the whole body of ratepayers in DuDedin has resulted in such unseemly occurrences that we do not feel greatly enamoured of the system. The middle course suggested by the Christchurch corporation commends itself as one which meets the difficulty, and it is worthy of consideration whether a similar system might not be adopted with advantage in Auckland. The election of a mayor by the ratepayers would give a status to the office in the public eye which it does not now possess and it would remove from the shoulders of Councillors a duty which often causes a good deal of heartburning and unpleasantness at the civic board. In view of the intended alteration of the Municipal Corporation Act to meet

he views of Christchurch, we should like to see the subject discussed by our own

Council.