ELECTION OF MAYORS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2803, 28 October 1924, Page 3

ELECTION OF MAYORS.

APPOINTED BY OOUXOILS. CONFERENCE REJECT'S FOXTON HEART. THREE YEARS’ TERM FA ALFRED. A proposal that the Mayor of a city or borough should be elected by the council instead of by the electors as at present was the subject of a brief discussion at the municipal conference at Auckland last week. The remit was moved by Air. A. ■I. Entrican, of Auckland, on behalf of Foxton. He said the local bodies represented were the only ones in the Dominion without the privilege of electing their own chairman, ’flic practice of the body electing ihe Mayor was in use in Great Britain and all must: admit it was much the better way. Mayors would get a certain amount, of training on the council. II was a question whether it, was quite fair for a. man who had not devoted his time and talent to'the public service to come, in and get the honour when all .members of the council wore doing the work. Air. H. L. Tapley, Mayor of Dunedin, said a very important principle was involved, and by adopting the remit the conference would he making a very retrograde step. It was true oilier countries, Australia among them, had the proposed system. and the results had not always been desirable. It should he the privilege of the people to select the Afayor. Fader the remit it, was conceivable that coteries could got fogctlier on local bodies and make their own selection. Airs. A. AI. Gordon (To Aroha) supported this view and said that while the proposal might do for the large cities it would he useless to small local bodies. Air. T. Lament (Devonport) opposed the remit and explained the situation which recently arose in Devonport. when seven members of the council declined to attend meetings. Air. W. Lock (Nelson) also opposed the remit and said he had never known a man without local body experience being elected as Mayor. Air J. Dempsey (Auckland) spoke in opposition and said that Auckland had the experience of ai least two ALiyoi's who had never been councillors, but they had carried mi their du'ies with great ere 4lt and dignity. .The chairman, Mr. J. A. Flesh er (Christchurch), said it was more satisfactory to a Mayor to have been elected and know lie had the people behind him. The remit was defeated by a large majority. A further remit by Tailiape. that Hie Ad be amended so that if the vacancy in the office of- .Mayor occurs after (lie expiration of one year from the date of the biennial election. his successor may, at the option of ihe emlncil. he elected either ]>v the council or by the electors. This was rejected. Another remit by Rargaville, that t he act he amended to make .provision for the general election of Mayor and councillors every three years in lien of two years, as at present was carried.