Preparations For City By-election

Press, Volume C, Issue 29506, 6 May 1961, Page 10

Preparations For City By-election

Formal preparations are being made by the CityCouncil tor a by-election on June 3 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Cr. W. J. Cowles, but it is not yet certain that a by-elec-tion will be necessary. The decision lies with the Christchurch Citizens' Association, which will hold its annual meeting on Monday. If it makes a nomination, then the Labour Party will contest the by-election, and its choice will be Mr R. M. Macfarlane, M.P., a former Mayor and councillor. Both organisations say they are keen to avoid the £3OOO to £4OOO cost of a byelection. but neither is keen to see an opponent handed a seat as a gift. If an independent stands, then both the major parties will put forward candidates Otherwise, a compromise is still possible. The Labour Party thinks Mr Macfarlane should be the choice as he topped the list of the unsuccessful candidates in November. 1959. The Citizens’ Association then gained all 19 seats on the council. If it had been anyone other than Mr Macfarlane at the top of the poll. Citizens’ Association executives might be more kindly disposed to a suggestion that a Labour | man should be allowed “free thus debarred from attending | many committee and council meetings in a year, and he is a possible candidate for the Mayoral position he occupied in the past. The : present Mayor (Mr G. Manning) has no wish to retire, but when he does Mr Macfarlane would still be young enough and popular enough to give Labour a good

chance of holding the position. If it agrees on Monday night to contest a by-elec-tion, the Citizens' Association may find that Mr W V Cowles, a son of Cr. Cowles, who had close business and sporting associations with his father, should be its candidate. A seasoned local body entry.” Mr Macfarlane is a member of Parliament, and member and association worker, Mr F. R. Price, will probably decline nomination as he is busy with the chairmanship of the Christchurch Drainage Board. Meanwhile, the supplementary roll for the election closed yesterday. It. will contain about 9000 names, most of which arc of ratepayers who have bought properties in the city since the last triennial election. Only about 300 new electors with residential qualifications are included in the new roll, which is the second supplementary roll, and only a few of them have applied for inclusion since it became apparent that a by-election would be held. As well as preparing a supplementary roll for printing should it be necessarv. City Council officers have had to make preliminarv inquiries for polling places. They have also had to make deletions from the master roll where women electors have been married and where properties have changed hands. Nominations will not close until Monday, May 15; and it will not be until that date that the council officers concerned with the election wilt know whether preliminary efforts have been wasted.