LOCAL BODY ELECTIONS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21229, 27 September 1940, Page 3

LOCAL BODY ELECTIONS

POSTPONEMENT QUESTION VIEW OF POWER BOARD (Special to Times) CAMBRIDGE, Thursday A suggestion that local body elections should be postponed next year was received by the Cambridge Electric Power Board at its meeting on Wednesday night from the Minister of Internal Affairs. The board discussed the matter fully, favouruing a postponement, although members were reluctant to propose any motion as they considered the inference would be that they were re-electing themselves to office. The chairman, Mr M. Wells, said that the position of the board, as he saw it, was that consumers were fairly well satisfied, and there would be little opposition to the present members if an election were held. The deputy-chairman, Mr J. W. Garland, said he felt like falling in with the Minister’s suggestion, except for the fact that it meant members re-electing themselves. Actually he favoured the postponement of the election for the duration of the war. “In these times we should look to the Government for a lead on such a matter,’’ said Mr J. H. Brock. “As one of the newest members of the board, I do not think that we should be asked to decide whether we should stay in office longer than was originally intended.” A resolution moved by Mr W. Moore, that the decision be left to the Government, was seconded by Mr D. M. Bourke. The latter considered that if the war continued the Government could consider the position again in twelve months’ time. An amendment by the chairman, that the postponement be for the duration of the war, lapsed for the want of a seconder, and Mr Moore’s motion was carried.