CIVIC ORGANISATION

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 223, 15 June 1921, Page 5

CIVIC ORGANISATION

WELFARE LEAGUE’S EXPLANATION. Sir,—From the report of tho meeting of the Town Planning Association in your issue of Juno 14, tho Central Progress League and the Welfare League are referred to as if they were disposed to come in conflict with existing organisation for municipal purposes. As that is quite a wrong view of some recent occurrences, wo desire to clearly explain tho position. Some little time ago a number of citizens met to consider the general question of municipal organisation. The meeting was called on the invitation of the Welfare League. Mr. A. Macintosh occupied tho chair, and he explained in opening the meeting that the purpose was to consider how best to strengthen the civic organisation of the city. The Welfare League was prepared to help, but did not wish to become attached to, any organisation. It was ready to assist and then retire, >as it had plenty of. work in hand to attend to. A general discussion took place, and finally a committee of six was appointed, consisting of two members of the Town Planning Association; two from the Progress League; and two from the Welfare League. That committee has mot twice and has framed a rough draft of a constitution for an organisation on broad lines, which might be called the Wellington Civic League. The decisions of this committee were unanimously ar-, rived at. It was not the intention of the committee that tho league should be formed as an additional organisation to those already existing, What was contemplated was that all the existing bodies—the Town Planning Association, the Eastern Suburbs Teague, and the various ratepayers’ associations—might adopt the ouo constitution, and so form a comprehensive civic league for the whole of Greater Wellington.

The representatives of the Progress League and tho Welfare League, whilst quite ready to assist, made it quite clear that their organisations wore only acting as conveners, and were ready to retire at any time, as they were dealing respectively with provincial and national matters, which fully occupied their time.

Without reflecting on anyone we may say that it has appeared to ns _ that civic organisation in Wellington is in rather n weak and confused state. The move made was to try and effect unity and definiteness of purpose by the creation of a. comprehensive civic organisation which would devote itself to . all phases of civic government and administration; the business to lie dealt with in departments such as finance, legislative, and educational, city planning and development, general purposes. _ The whole scheme is one of consolidation, as

are confident that it is by the plan of united effort that voluntary organisation, can he helpful to the elected represented lives on our City Council, Harbour* Board, and Hospital Board, or do any-' thing practical in advancing the city f* interests. —I am, etc., ARTHUR B. HARPER. J Secretary, Welfare League.