Wedgwood Interpellates Government on Disfranchisement of Poor (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
The changes in the Tel Aviv city government, brought about by an order of the Palestine High Commissioner amending the election ordinance, were the subject of a question directed to the Colonial Office by Col. Josiah Wedgwood in the House of Commons Monday afternoon.
Col. Wedgwood asked why the poor citizens of Tel Aviv were disfranchised and why the powers of the municipality were curtailed by the order of the High Commissioner.
Col. Amery, in replying, denied that the powers of the municipality were curtailed. The raising of the qualifications for voters in the municipal elections did not affect a large proportion of the electorate. It was undertaken due to the financial difficulties in which the municipality found itself. There was no political reason for the action, he added.
Col. Wedgwood, pressing the point further, drew the attention of the Colonial Secretary to the fact that the present City Council of Tel Aviv, mostly Laborite, worked admirably in cooperation with District Commissioner Campbell. He asked whether the Colonial Office would request the High Commissioner to reconsider the matter. Col. Amery replied that the High Commissioner of Palestine is satisfied that the changes were necessary.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
