AMALGAMATION WITH CITY

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24901, 14 June 1946, Page 5

AMALGAMATION WITH CITY

POLICY REAFFIRMED BY MAYOR

REPLY TO LYTTELTON COUNCILLOR

“Cr. Lyons could not commit the City Council any more than the by-laws committee could commit the council to an absolute undertaking to employ every member of the staff of the Lyttelton Borough Council, without even knowing the composition of that staff. Nevertheless, it was made perfectly clear to .the people of Lyttelton by Cr. Lyons and to the Lyttelton Borough Council by the Town Clerk that it was the City Council’s policy to retain the staffs of local bodies amalgamating with it,” said the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr E. H. Andrews) in replying yesterday to the Deputy-Mayor of Lyttelton (Cr. F. H. Heal).

“There might have been one or two employees whd, for -some reason or other, could not have keen kept on by the City Council, but Cr. Heal spoke as if amalgamation would have meant the dismissal of the entire Lyttelton Borough Council’s staff. Cr. Heal it will be recalled, asked, 7How would tie council’s p/esent staff work with the man who would have put them out of a job?’ Cr. Heal stands convicted out of his own mouth. “This was a sweeping statement, untrue and misleading. The opponents of amalgamation, unfortunately, appear to be willing to go to any extreme in their endeavours to retain their borough. It was reported to me on the day preceding the poll in Lyttelton that a pamphlet had been circulated in Lyttelton stating that I, as Mayor of Christchurch, had said I was opposed to the amalgamation of Lyttelton with the city. I had no chance before the poll to refute that statement, but I want to say definitely now that at no time did I express an opinion one way or the other. It is my policy, as a general rule, to take no part in the amalgamation movements as I consider that would not be a proper attitude as between the- mayor of one municipality and another.

“I do not object to anyone opposing amalgamation, provided the case is not misrepresented. Mr Feast’s letter to the Lyttelton Borough Council explained what the City Council’s policy had been in the past and gave an indication that there would be no departure from this policy. Had Lyttelton elected to join the city the probability is that every member of the borough council’s staff would have been retained.

“Without knowing the staff individually, possibly there may have been an odd one whom, for some cogent reason, it would not have been desirable to employ. Ido not know of any, nor do other City Councillors, but a council must have some latitude to protect itself in such an event. I repeat that the policy of the council as outlined by me is correct, and the Town Clerk will definitely support me in that statement.” 1