MUNICIPAL DEBATE.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18364, 23 April 1925, Page 9

MUNICIPAL DEBATE.

CITIZENS VERSUS LABOUR.

Two councillors who have been opposed in policy during their term of office shifted the >cene of debate from the ''official" quarter to the Choral Tin 11 hist evening, when Or. C. P. Apir. lor the Citizens' Association pint form, and Cr. .1. K. Archer, a labour candidate, engaged in the friendly debate arranged between them in view of the forthcoming municipal election*. Professor ,T. 15. Condliffe, who announced at the outset that he was a member of neither faction, and was acting as timekeeper rather than as judge, presided over a crowded attendance.

Or. Archer. Ideals vitally affecting the city. Cr.

Archer stated in his opening remarks, were, he understood, the subject of the debate. During the last two years the representatives of the Citizens' Asst> ciation had dominated the life of the City Council. Whether the Association or Labour representatives should be returned would be answered by a study of the record of the Council tor the past two years, the policy of the Citizens' Association, and, thirdly, tho * policy of the Labour Party. At present there were four local bodies in addition to the City Council in Christchurch. Between them there was very little sympathy, contact, or co-opera-tion. A duplication of offices, officers. elections, and working expenses existed, with a resulting diminution of the efficiency of public service. Labour favoured a single controlling body with a membership elected on Parliamentary franchise. The Citizens' Association proposed merely to discuss unification proposals, but it had done that two years ago, and apparently iutended to get no further. Municipal trading was another Labour plank upon which it was in sharp conflict with the Citisens' Association. Labour did not propose to give anything for nothing; its policy vfas purchase, not theft, and not even pnrchuso as long as private traders were prepared to supply better and cheaper service than the municipality could supply. It intended to protect tho public from trusts, rings, combines, profiteers, and exploiters. They were not advocating taking over a bread supply unless the suppliers hit the public too high. The Citizens' Association's attitude towards municipal trading was on paper unfavourable except where monopoly services were concerned—such as water, roads, or electric current. There was also an insurance department competing with private companies, the fire insurance showing an accumulated profit of £14,000. Othei* instances of municipal enterprise favoured by tho Citizens' Association candidates existed. That showed inconsistency. A more vigorous policy of housing was favoured by Labour, whieu had been touched only "gingerly" by the Citizens' Association representatives, and the Christehurch scheme was far behind the schemes of such cities as Auckland and Adelaide. To enrich the life of the children was another Labour plank, and though had announced itself in favour of a picture theatre and more playing jvrcas, no provision had becu made by the Citucns" Association "except the Mayor's soo." (Laughter.) Work for the unemployed at union rates of pay was also favoured by Labour, but absolutely no provision was made by the Citizens' Association. Labour strongly favoured the restoration of proportional representation. Tho other system "loaded" the roll in favour of the ratepayer against the resident. The last proposal was that wages should be on the basis of the 1914 standard, ami that in the case of salaried employees an annual holiday on full pay. The employees should bo "treated as gentlemen and as partners," not as' slaves or serfs. Those proposals were perfectly reasonable. The 1914 standard was considerably below a proper standard, and a holiday for'workers, beside being necessary, was a good commercial proposition. Councillor Agar. Cr. Agar said that with both sides •» the platform, the audience was in the position of a jury. Cr. Archer bad stated that he scored on the question of the amalgamation otthe local bodies, which had been on the platform of the Citizens' Association, and bad sot been attended to. But Labour had also been silent on the question, and they were silent either because fbey ha-J forgotten what they had promised, or. because, as in the case of thetStiscßS* Association representatives, had bad other things to do. As to parka for children, the Council had been giving tho public such grounds for years. Unemployment was a poor plank upon which to seek re-election. Xot one man who needed work last year went without it, as far as the City Council was aware. The'suggestion that employees of the City Council were not "treated as gentlemen" was incorrect, and was intended apparently to engender prejudice. Speaking of the constructive side of the Citizens' Association policy, the speaker stated that tho Citv Council was a local body that levied £201,000 annually in rates, and handled an annual turnover of approximately £500,000. The Citizens' Association was open to everybody, and selected all types to represent it on the Council, "lie had not been asleep, nor had the other councillors, during the past term. The day would come when one man would run the City of Christchurch, and more efficiency would bo the result. Throughout his speech Mr Archer had avoided the mention of tho word "Socialism." though Socialism was his ideal, and the ideal of thd party. He asserted that individualism bad made the British Empire. Cheap eneors had been circulated about his silence on tho question of establishing a municipal buttery. Even if one were seriously contemplated, its effect would not be felt by the other eleven, companies. If there wore any "afcarks or profiteers" in the city, Mr Ateher would be the first to climb up o« the Express Company's building and tell them who they were. (Laughter.) Cr. Agar dealt also with electricity and thtf Council's proposal to establish a mu»»\ eipal quarry. The failure of the Coaacil to make progress with its housing scheme was shared by Labour and t*e Citizens' Association's candidates alike, and was due to the fact that the Government refused to give tho money. If Mr Arrher believed in the raising of a loan for the housing scheme, he was at liberty to move for it. bat like the other councillors he had agreed that it was the duty of the Government to supply the money. There were i6.'XK» ratepayers on the roll, so that as far as proportional representation was concerned it could not be said that thi-* poll was "loaded" in favour of th" ratepayer, as he had only the same vote as an ordinary resident, except on loan proposals. The main objection he had to proportional representation, and h= had moved its repeal, was that it took awav from the oleetor the control of his "own vote. If the Council labourers were dissatisfied with the wage of Is lOd an hour, why was it that they did not apply for the wage stipulated under the latest general labour*!* award} It was because tho rato was 13 more than the award rate. - . Each speaker exercised his right «C "-,; rep'y. i-S i 'j