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m. C here *A e s --" * JMUAR'( 20 cemememmmemepemememmmememe onl * BILL PROVIDNG | _ TWO--YEAR TERM P omm Way Is Already Open to Municipalities, Is George Drew's Stand APPLIES TO 1941 Described by Conservative Leader 2 George Drew and Arthur Roebuck (Lib.. Bellwoods) as a "totally un-- necessary piece of legislation," cov-- ering a situation already provided for in the Municipal Act, the Mu-- nicipal Elections Extension Act re-- ceived second reading in the House yesterday and passed into commit-- tee stage. The bill, a revised form of a meas--| ure promised by Hon. Eric Cross | during the emergency session of last ; September, met vigorous opposition | from the only two members to speak after the Minister had moved sec-- ond reading. It called for two--year terms of office in all Municipal Boards after Feb. 1, 1941, but con-- tained a proviso by which munici-- palities could vote themselves out of the bill by plebiscite. "There is already adequate provi-- ; sion in our Municipal Act for crea-l tion of a two--year term at the will | of the municipality," Colonel Drew | declared. "Section 79 covers this | thoroughly and there is no need Iorl § other legislation." Can't See Difference. The Government, he insisted, had reduced its measure to ineffective-- ness by providing for the muncipal-- itles to vote themselves out of the bill "by an otherwise totally un-- necessary vote." "Why is it better to say that you must have a two--year term, but may vote yourself out of it?" he asked, "than to say you may have a two-- year term by voting yourself in?" Unless the Minister were prepar-- ed to say that, in spite of the ex-- pressed will of the municipalities, they would have to accept a two-- year term, Colonel Drew pressed, 4 there was no need for the act. Mr. Cross's explanation that the act was being introduced for the same reason as it was passed in * Great Britain did not hold water, he added. Different in Britain. "The Minister says its purpose is to increase efficiency, reduce ex-- penses and to show leadership," he said. "Not one of those things were | expressed as the reason for adoption | of similar legislation in Great Brit-- ain. They passed the bill to avoid the gathering of large crowds on f election days and subsequent cas-- ualties during the blackouts, be-- ' cause most of the buildings nor-- mally used for election were now used for war purposes, and because there were no air raid shelters avail--| able for voters." I Mr. Roebuck voiced complete con--| currence with Colonel Drew's argu-- ment. The people, he said, had al-- ready voiced their disfavor of the ' measure. Both members urged the Govern-- ment to hold the measure over for | further consideration, to see what public reaction would be, but the motion to give second reading was carried without further discussion.