COUNTY FRANCHISE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 17, 15 October 1920, Page 9

COUNTY FRANCHISE

MRi WILFORD PROPOSES A ; • CHANGE THE COUNTRY MEMBERS' VIEW % When tie Counties. Bill. was.at its com-' mittee stage in tho House of- Represen-. tatives/lnst night tho Lisador of.the.Oppo-, Bition ! (Mr. Wilford)' said ho intended to test-'the feeling of thi<j Holiso.' regarding' the county- franchise. Voting: power in counties is based at present on rateable, property, the number of votes possessed by the ratepavor ranging from ont> to', throe. Mr. Wilford movod to strike out' the ; clause • dealing with tho. franchise, ■with the object of substituting the' municipal franchise, whicli is similar to theParliamentary franchise as far as: the elections of local bodies are concerned.. He said that. tho, timo had' arrived to ; wipe out tho systom of basing votes on property. . ' , ■ This -proposal was hotly contested at. once 'iby country members of the House: They said ttoat voting power in counties should bo in tho hands of the men, who carried responsibility. . m \ T ■ The Minister of Public Works (Hon. _J;. G. Coatfcs) said tho application of the municipal franchise to counties .would make it possible for temporary, residents,. Buoh'-as Publio Works employees,-to control the oounties. direot works, and au-. thorise' loans; Then' these people couldmove on and leave tho real settlers toof view-was presented by ■ ISTr G. Forbes (Hurunui), who said-that the multiple-vote on a property ffon in the counties was- 'tho last-refuge of Toryism." If the adult suftragei principle was good enough for Parliament, which carried all- tho power it was good enough for.the counties. All the P eo P^ living in a county weroaffected by the decisions of tho local authority, and .ttey all should vote to elect that authonty. Mr. M'Calliim (Wairau) pointed out that the 'municipals-franchise allowed ratepayers only to . vote on loan quwhons. , . Sir William Hemes hoped that the House would not accept, the. ammdment The existing system had •well for very many no had come from' thet country districts lor a change. He saw no good- reason for a ohaugo that would make a vast difference in the administration of counties. Mr. H. E. Holland (Bute) declared that the Parfiamentry franchise should be the Role franchise in New Zealand. A mur mir Sent indicated that many memthe ofthe sriS p-« - tw*", regard to .their own affairs i- . Air A D. M'Leod (Wairarapa) said that there was a, certain difficulty arising in thHtiiration of the "one man one vote svstem S<>me county ridiiigs started from or town, ftud they vouW. ao Eolutelv control the position of the r jdinßTheycould elect, their in every caffe, carry every lcan. and have tarred roads and footpaths j made. There t j -u-n-n no serious demand for tiie sug. alteration of the franchise in connfitee, and if Parliament ™« K oing^ 3^ nffcr very greatly indeed.