HARBOUR BOARD ELECTION.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 65, 20 March 1901, Page 3

HARBOUR BOARD ELECTION.

DISCUSSION AT BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING. MB JOYCE’S MOTION. At the meeting of the Borongh Council last ovening the following resolution was moved by Cr Joyce : —“ That the present llcturning Officer (if any) for the Borough of Gisborne bo dispensed with, and applications bo called at once for a suitable man to perform the duties.” Speaking to the resolution, Cr Joyce said that he was not bringing forward the resolution on the grounds of either malice or ill-will, but in the interests of tho public. Cr Johnston: Cr. Joyce is not in order in speaking to the motion until it has been seconded.

Cr Jones : You cannot stop him in tho middle of a speech. Cr Joyce: I am the proposer, and I desire to be heard.

Aftor some discussion tho Mayor ruled that Cr Joyce was in order, and tho latter continued : “ I simply want to give my reasons for bringing this motion forward. I do so on tho broad principle of justice, and fairplay, and in tho interests of tho public. I have wo personal reasons for bringing it forward. There were certain irregularities at tho last Harbor Board election, and it is to prevent tho recurrence of those that I bring forward this motion. A person holding tho position of Bcturning Officer of tho Borough should liavo the fullest confidence of the ratepayers. There are such important questions as electric lighting, drainage scheme, and water supply, and In tho event of a poll being taken the public must have every confidence in tho Bcturning Officer. We have no guarantee that tho same irregularities that have taken place in the past will not be repeated. If he was conversant with the law he certainly acted at variance with it, and committed an error. If again lie was not conversant with tho law, then I say that he requires to bo conversant with it. Any man filling such a position requires to bo conversant with the manner in which members are elected. Tho question, therefore, depends whether tho Council will come to the conclusion to retain the services of a man of whom it has been proved by tho action of tho Bcsident Magistrate to have committed irregularities; whether the Council will uphold those irregularities by retaining his services. I have, l can assure you, no personal motive in bringing it forward. I have no hesitation in saying that if a vote of tho public were taken that tho majority would favor mv opinion. Cr. Jones did not wish to take any part in tho discussion, as lie had acted as counsel for Mr Joyce. . It seemed to him a pity that tho matter should not bo discussed for the want of a seconder, so ho would second it pro forma. Cr Nolan opposed tho motion, as ho could not seo that the Council had any right to dismiss Mr Quigley. Tho irregularities had occurred in connection with a body with which they had nothing to do. They had been committed in ignorance, and tho Bcturning Officer was not aware that ho was acting improperly. It had now boon brought to Iris notice that ho was not entitled to vote in tho manner that he had dono, and he (Mr Nolan) did not think there would be any causo for complaint in tho future. Mr Quigley had held tho position for many years, and no irregularity had occurred on any previous occasion.

Cr Lewis endorsed the remarks which had (alien from the previous speaker, and had no fault to find with the Returning Officer. The irregularities which had occurred wero mcroly technical irregularities. Tho question of a Koturning Officer being unable to give an original and casting vote was not known to everyone, and ninety-nine people out of every hundred would have committed tho same error. Tho error was not committed wilfully for the purpose of ousting any particular candidate. They had in tho past no fault to find with Mr Quigley, and it would be unfair for such a small matter to deprive any man of part of his livelihood.

Or Johnston was somewhat of the same opinion as Or Nolan, although he wished to state that he did not sympathise for a moment with tho informality that had taken place at the recent harbour election. Ho thought that the Koturning Officer should have known his business better, but it was for tho Harbour Board to take action. If the Harbour Board

had dismissed the officer, then the Council might have considered the seriousness of the inattor.

Cr Hepburn said that he was a member of the Harbor Board. He recognised that anyone was liable to make a mistake, and in the present case ho was satisfied that it was not done wilfully. The Chairman regretted the irregularity had taken place, as it certainly had a tendency to shake tho confidence of the electors. Tho matter had been before tho Harbor Board, but as another election was coming on immediately, nothing was done. He thought that such irregularities with regard to the election would not take place again. He was sure that in elections held in the future greater care would be exercised. Cr Johnston : I think that the discussion that has taken place will satisfy Cr Joyce, and he will perhaps withdraw his motion.

Cr Joyce said that in face of the opposition ho had received, and tho manner in which lie received it, he would not be acting consistently in withdrawing the motion. He did not agree with Cr Nolan when he stated that tho irregularity had been committed in ignorance. If the irregularity had been going on for a number of years the greater the sin, and the greater reason that it should be rectified. Cr Lewis had said 'that the irregularity was merely a technical one, but he reminded him that it was of such a nature that the election was made void. With regard to what Cr Johnston said about the Harbor Board taking action, he (Cr Joyce) contended the same people returned members of the Harbor Board and Borough Council, and ho was doing the right thing in bringing bis motion forward that evening. Then, again, Cr Hepburn said that the Kcturning Officer bad not previously been found fault with, but the reason of this was that in tho past the faults had not been found out..

The motion was then put and declared lost, Cr Joyce being the only member to support it.