Started Something !

Chronicle (Levin), 8 November 1949, Page 4

Started Something !

When the Leyin branch of the New Zealand Labour Party wrote asking for the council's co-opera-uon m the reception of the Prime Minister for his elec don address in Levin on' Thursday, it started a discussion, which, but for the intervention of the Mayor, Mr. H. B. Burdekin, might have en'ded up bordering on politics. The party asked that " council bufiting be hung in the streets and in the hall in honour of the occasion. Opposidon to the request waS immediate from severai quarters. ^ The Mayor said that it had to be remembered that Mr. Fraser was the Prime Minister and the council would be failing in its dut'y if it did not meet a reasona'ble request. Cr. W. Telford said he "did not see why the council should be asked to help the Prime Minister in what was after all esseiitially , an electioneering campaign. He did not see the need for bunting in such a campaign. The mayor agreed that the council should not be asked to hang the bunting, but perhaps it could be made available to the party for hanging in the hall. Cr. C. Sherwood: "Will it be there for Mr. Maher's use, too? Mr. Burdekin: We have no request from the National Party for bunting for Mr. Maher's meeting. We must 'deal at the moment with the application actually before us. Cr. R. S.' Antcliff : Why should we be . asked to be co-operative ; with any politicat" party? I dont like the word co-operate.

ur. x i. A. r reaeriKJbuu . xxjic v;uuucil cannot co-operate. I suggest that the bunting be made available to any party on application to ' do what they want ' with it, provided they hang it. Further discussion ensued during which the Mayor had severai times to call one or two councillors to order for verging on politics in their remarks. It was eventually deci'ded to make the bunting available for street or hall decoration to any party, provided the party erected it and removed it afterwards.