PRIVATE CONTROL IN LABOUR STRONGHOLD

Chronicle (Levin), 6 December 1947, Page 4

PRIVATE CONTROL IN LABOUR STRONGHOLD

Press Association)

(Per

•-WANGANUI,' Dee. 5. _ Private control of municipal palsl senger tfansport has been substantiallfM favdiir§d in a poll of electors held ift Wanganui. The poll; which is of hational ifiterest at present feecause of condifitiiig viexvS as ta State aird muriitiipal fcdhtrol oi vaHdhs public services, resulted ift 11,215 valid votes being cast. Of that number 6635 voted to place the city 73 tranS'port system in the haftds Of private enterprise, 4198 of those vothrs being non-ratepayers and 2437 ratdpayei'P. • A total of 4580 electors expressed Ihemsel ves dgainst private enterprise and favoured a continuance of municipal control. Of that nnhibet 3:lWi W8rd non-ratepaj'ers and 1204 ratepayefS. The majority-in favour of private 'enterprise was 2055 in a poll of 11,213. Iiabour Members' Dilemma. t

Wit'h a dehnite manaate riom ino electors to foster private enterprises the neWly-elected City Council has referred the matter tO a sjieffial transpprt committee. Councillbrs felectbd on the Citizens' ticket will press very hard' to establish a privately-owned transport systerh, at least over part of the ei.ty, but the Labour Party members, of the cduncil are in somethihg of a dilemma: The Labour Partv, as a party, took, a stand against private. enterprise during the elections, that policy being xn lceeping with the general poliCy of Labour-. With the electors so defmitely in favour of private enterprise, howeverj it would appear that Labour will adopt a tndre or less passive role. Another vital aspect of the inatter xs that the transport department still haS to expreSs itself as to the.type of seivice to be run, will have jurisdictiore over fares, and, in effect, iji the public interest will possess overriding control of anv private service. At .least ond ofFer has been mrt.de to' take Over the city service under those conditions, and there may be more before tlie council rhakgs a move to call fof tendidis. ^ It is easv to understand the nytxtude of the electors. The city transpoirt se|vice has been operated at ('onsifldrab^e loss during receht yeafs, and ;if that loss cah be'overcome by handmg the service over to private enterprise, \so "mueh the better. "

Significaiice of Vote. With a majority of Citizens on the council, it iS possible that private enterprise will be given its chance. wnetliei- it will fuixetion profitably under present-day festfietions is a inatter oft which there is much speeula,txon, but the fact that Wanganui, sudh a stauncn Labour stronghold politically, should have voted SO defmitely for private enterprise is regarded in some as an indicated that opposrtxon to btrtte and municipal control is xncreasxng, even in quarters where Labour least exnected it.