MR. MORTON TO RESIGN

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 831, 27 November 1929, Page 11

MR. MORTON TO RESIGN

POSITION ON TRANSPORT BOARD

DEPARTURE FROM DOMINION Announcing his departure from the Dominion on December 6, Mr. F. S. Morton has again indicated his intention of resigning from the Auckland Transport Board shortly. Mr. Morton’s first resignation was read at a meeting of the Onehunga Borough Council on May 13 last, when he wrote asking to be relieved of his position on the board as soon as possible. This, the council had no power to grant, but it asked Mr. Morton to reconsider his decision. Again, at a meeting of local bodies in the No. 3 area held in the One Tree Hill Road Board office on May 27 which rejected a motion that Mr? Morton be removed forth* with from membership of the Transport Board, Mr. Morton said that he had definitely decided to resign after May 31. TIME IS AT HAND Judging by a letter read at the meeting of the Mount Roskill Road Board last evening;, the time is at hand. Mr. Morton wrote to say that he is taking an early opportunity of placing his resignation in the hands of the secretary to the Transport Board. “Unfortunately for the outside local bodies the old policy of the Auckland City Council is being perpetuated and the preponderance of its representatives on the board prevents any changes being made for the present,” wrote Mr. Morton. “The losses on the buses and the decrease in the tram revenue renders the position by no means reassuring, and should satisfy the most optimistic that the supervision of the trams as well as the buses is entirely unsatisfactory and calls for a complete change. My health has suffered in consequence of my activities on the board and 1 intend leaving New Zealand on December 6 for an extended tour.” FIXING OF ELECTION

Regarded as an extraordinary vacancy the Act provides that the returning officer shall forthwith appoint a day not less than 20 or more than 25 clear days from the occurrence of such vacancy for the election to fill the same and shall appoint a day not less than five or more than seven days before the election for receiving nominations of candidates. The area represented by Mr. Morton, together with Mr. J. Wood, comprises that lying within the boundaries of the One Tree Hill, Mount Roskill and Mount Wellington Road Boards, the borough of Onehunga, and the town districts of Ellerslie and Panmure, known as the No. 3 area in the Transport Board Act. It would appear that unless Mr. Morton’s resignation is tendered within the next few days, the date of the election, will run into the Christmas holiday season.