ELECTION POINTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26621, 18 November 1947, Page 4

ELECTION POINTS

Apprenticeship Needed “I would advise my opponent to spend a few years on the City Council and serve his apprenticeship, before he starts asking a lot of foolish questions,” said Mr D. C. Cameron at the Concert Chamber last night. “The mayoralty of the city is not just a matter of presiding over a council meeting every three weeks—that is just a small part of the job. The Mayor and Mayoress have very-little time to call their own, and next year they will have even less. There will be scores of prominent visitors coming for the Centennial, and the Mayor should be as free as possible to attend to their reception and entertainment. For that reason he must be backed up by a good working council prepared to take some of the committee work off his shoulders.” Paternal Interest The Minister of Defence, Mr Jones, played a rather unusual role —that of a member of the audience at an election meeting—last night,- when he listened to his son, Mr. E. F. .Jones, outlining Labour’s -plans should the party have a majority on the City Council after to-rnorrqw’s elections. Sufficient Justification ”1 have noticed that all the major works commenced or discussed by the council over the past three years have been adopted by the Labour Party as points in their policy. I think that should be sufficient justification for the policy which has been followed,” commented Mr L. J. Ireland at the. Concert Chamber last evening. The Block Vote On very few occasions had the Labour Party made a block vote in the City Council—it was more often the Citizens’ representatives who were responsible for that policy, said Mr W. A. Hudson, M.P., speaking at NorthEast Valley last night. Attendance Figures “ I have . noticed with interest. the number of attendances at meetings by members of the Hospital Board as mentioned by Dr McMillan,”, said Mrs Norah Ross at the Concert Chamber last night. “ I see that he headed the list which he gave with 100 per cent. I do not intend to question the fact that' he attended the meetings,' but I would point out that he did not say how long he had stayed at them.” Grandfather Needed “Dunedin is like q, little Scottish village—prosperous wlien the herring fleet comes in but dead-after the fleet has gone out,” remarked. Mr W„- R Clarke, Labour candidate for the-.Citj Council, in his address at Roslyn lasi night. “We say Dunedin was blooming in grandfather’s day. Well, lei us bring grandfather back, even if if is in the form of the Labour Party.” An attendance of 50 electors carried a vote of confidence ia all Labour, candidates .for the local-body elections. Varied Names

“ The Labour Party claims in advertisements that It is called by only one name. I think we’ve all heard. il called by a number of names, some of them rather uncomplimentary,” said Mr W. B. Taverner at the Concert Chamber last, night. .“"Before the Labour Party forced party politics into civic affairs the council consisted oi men of all sorts and shades of political opinion.’ But they did not brin? those opinions into the council chamber, and the council worked as- a wam.

The Elderly. Men . “I have every respect for elderly men, but there is no, place for them on local bodies. We do not want to go along to meetings and waste time talking about Saturday’s bowls.”—Dr D. G McMillan, Labour candidate for the City i Council and the Otago Hospital Board, in his address at Roslyn last night.

Labour Mysticism “It seems to -me that mystifying people is the Labour Party’s greatest hobby. Well, we have had enough mystifying in this country in the last few years—it is time we put an end to it,” said Mr L. J. Ireland at ’ the Concert Chamber last evening. “ 1 presume that, from their past actions and from the way they are talking, if a council of 12 Labour men happened to be elected, they would all sit down and refuse to accept chairmanships of committees. That is why we should return a Citizens’ council with men who are prepared to Work.”

Another Question “I-have asked many questions,- but so far I have not received many answers,” said Mr E. F. Jones, Labour candidate for the mayoralty, speaking at Roslyn last night. “I have another question to ask. Two years ago, the City Council purchased 500 concrete pipes for the Silverstream race. These pipes are still lying at Whare Flat in the wind and rain. Why have they not been used?’.’.