Local body politics — 60 years ago

Local politics, 1950 style

From the Turbull Library Files

The Wellingtonian | 5:00AM - Thursday, 23 September 2010

DEMOCRATIC DUTY: A mobile library became a polling booth for day, in May 1950.
— Photo: 114/145/13-G, Evening Post Collection/Alexander Turnbull Library.

EACH WEEK we feature a picture from the Alexander Turnbull Library.

It's election time, so here's a polling day photograph. Three citizens, a dog, and the much-loved City Library van are all doing their democratic duties in Vogeltown in May 1950.

It was not actually an election for council. This was a loan poll for ratepayers, about whether to support a council proposal to raise a loan for sewerage and drainage, streets and parks, a new chapel at the Karori Cemetery, and a vehicle testing station. Such polls were a legal requirement at that time.

The day before, the Evening Post had quoted the mayor urging support, so that Wellington could be "the finest city in New Zealand".

Unfortunately only 20 per cent of ratepayers bothered to vote. "Apathy main feature of poll", said the Evening Post. But the mayor did get most of what he wanted, except for the new vehicle testing station, which was resoundingly defeated.

Loan polls were finally abolished in 1998 (although voter apathy wasn't).

The library's mobile van service lasted a little longer. It was scrapped in 2006, after 59 years of trundling around the suburbs.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/local/the-wellingtonian/4155720/Local-politics-1950-style