The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 1885. The Mayoralty

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 33, 27 August 1885, Page 2

The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 1885. The Mayoralty

As the Parliamentary duties of Mr Macarthttr have compelled his presence in "Wellington for the past three months, the Mayoral chair is now vacant. Clause 69 of the Municipal Corporations Act provides: "If a Councillor is absemt without the leave of the Council from four consecutive ordinary meetings thereof, his office shall become vacant, and such vacancy ehall be deemed an extraordinary vacancy." As Mr Macarthtjb does not appear to have applied for this leave, "and none of the Councillors thought it incumbent on them to move in the matter by drawing the attention of the Council to this clause, the Borough will be put to. the expense of another election. Clause 57 of the Act says : "In any extraordinary vacancy of the office of Mayor the Council may appoint one of the Councillors to be Mayor, who shall temporarily hold office until such vacancy is filled by the election of a new Mayor ; but if such vacancy occurs within three months before the day of the annual election of Mayor, the Councillor so appointed shall continue to hold the office of Mayor until such annual electioN. The Councillor so appointed shall not thereby vacate his office as Councillor." As the next annual election of Mayor does not take place until the last "Wednesday in November, and the involuntary vacancy occurred early in August, three clear months are covered by the two periods. It will be out of the power of the Council, therefore, to appoint an interim Mayor, and an election is consequently inevitable. The only hope we have, in the interests of the Borough, is that either Mr Macarthuk will be reelected or that some burgess may be chosen who will pledge himself to carry out the policy of economy which now obtains, on the same lines as laid down by Mr Macarthur and endorsed by the whole of the ratepayers.