THE MAYORAL CHAIR.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10523, 11 January 1912, Page 5

THE MAYORAL CHAIR.

{.To The Editor.]

Sir*— In this (morning's paper, in an editorial note on "Mayoral Elections," you exception to the isystem Uiider which the. Mavor if el- . ected, and advocate the Victorian eyst-em o; tlvcting a Alavor fnnr. among the rrvcmfciers of tin* Council Tttie promoters of the Municipal Corporations. Act, 1876, had this point fully before thorn when the Bill was framed, and decided that the Mayor should not necessarily have a knowledge of municipal affairs. The intention of the framors, and which was agreed to by the Parliament, was to give tie burgesses a chanoo to do honour to any one of their leac'.-ing citizens, by electing him to the highest position in theiir gift. The dutiV-p of Mayor wVre to b'e more in the direction. of studying and carrying out socitil functions, and seeing to the nodal and moral well-being of the town. Hence provision was made for voting the Maytor a honorarium. To further emphasise the distinction between the Mayoral office and that of Cfouaieillor, provision in the' former case .was made for an annual election. An argument used at the time was that a man imright be elected to fi)M the Mayoral chair who, whilst understanding bait little or nothing of .the affairs of the Council, might 'from his high standing and social •qaxalifioations be eminently fitted for ■tine piosition of Mayor. The Counties Act was framed in the same year, ,'vnt juist the. opposite views of the qualification for Chairman. were talcen, the reasons being obvious.— I ■am, etc., RURGKSS.