Council Disagrees on Own Legislation

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 471, 28 September 1928, Page 12

Council Disagrees on Own Legislation

TRANSPORT BILL EXPENSES ANOMALY Though the Auckland C .y Council has promoted the Transport Bill, its members hold varied views on the provisions included in it. According to what the City Council was told last evening the proposed Transport Bill was nearly held up in Auckland owing to the outside local bodies asking that there should be provision in the Bill for reimbursing the outside bodies for their expenses before the commission. It was decided, however, that the Bill should go forward and that application should be made to allow a clause making the provision asked for The city solicitor stated to the council meeting last evening that he and Mr. Rogerson, acting for the outside bodies, had reached agreements on the machinery clauses which were in dispute, and the Bill had been engrossed and sent forward to the Prime Minister.

Tho Mayor, Mr. G. Baildon, expressed tho opinion that there should be no clause providing for payment of commission costs. "Wo said nothing about our expenses. AVe gave them the council chamber, and some of them used it as a sleeping lounge,” remarked tho Mayor.

He felt that the council had gone far enough- "I think they were just trying to put a bit over us and, as far as I am concerned, it didn’t come off, he remarked. “The council met the outside bodies more than half-way.” Cr. Entrican said that the clause should be absolutely opposed.

“We know of these Bills being the subject of lobbying and if there are any attempts to have clauses that are not agreed to by both parties we should go to the extreme step of withdrawing the Bill.” ♦‘l think there is some misunderstanding,” remarked Cr. J. A. C. Allum. "When the Power Board was formed the reasonable expenses of those who sought to have it formed were paid by the new board. TRAMS PAY CITY COSTS

“We cannot defend such an objection as you propose, because the City cil will not pay a penny out of its general fund. Our expenses are being met from the Tramway Fund, and if there is a board it will take over our expenses.” “There are other and more serious aspects of this,” remarked Cr. A- J. Stallworthy. “I feel this is a very serious business.

“This council has been subjected to enough criticism during the past few months, but it will be as nothing to the opprobrium that will fall to our lot if we let this Bill go through. “The Bill is wrong in its fundamental principles and would be a disaster. I want to make it quite clear that I am not a party to the Bill in its present form.”

Cr. J. B. Paterson suggested that the tramway manager should be in "Wellington in case he was needed. COUNCIL NOT SEEN BILL “It is unfortunate that the council has not seen the Bill, but I understand it is based exactly on the recommendations of the commission’s report,” remarked Cr. Ellen Melville. “Our tramway manager cannot go down there discussing management and policy at this stage.” “The simple position is that we must not allow amendments to the Bill unless we agree with them,” asserted Mr. Entrican*

The council decided by 15 to 10 that it would oppose the insertion of th 9 proposed clause allowing reasonable expenses to the local bodies.

Cr. Entrican then moved that the member in charge of the Bill be instructed that no amendments with which the City Council disagreed be allowed to be made to the Bill. “We are in an impossible position,” said Cr. Ellen Melville. “If the outside local bodies make this a point of issue are we going to withdraw the Bill? We do not even allow our representatives to reach a compromise. If the outside bodies make this a point at issue the Bill is wrecked.” The Mayor: It was put to me on Tuesday that if I did not agree to this costs clause, the Bill would not go to j Wellington. I put up a stiff back and said: “It can stay here, then!” It went on, and will go on. Cr. Allum: I think we have gone further than we intended to do. It may become necessary for the council to pay its own costs now and not take them from the tramways account. . The Mayor denied this possibility. “Well, what earthly use is it sending delegates to Wellington with their hands tied?” asked Cr. Allum* “The Government might easily require some alteration. I would be sorry to see the Bill go through exactly as it is.” He again asked if the delegates’ hands were absolutely to be tied on the costs question. The only satisfaction he got was this reply from Cr. Entrican: This is a big question. I don’t think the solicitors have rendered their accounts to the local bodies yet. Cr. Murray voiced his strong objection to the proposed term of office of the members of the first board. iie had not seen the Bill. Only a special few had. Cr. M. J* Coyle joined issue with Cr. Murray, stating that the lastnamed had declared he had had no opportunity of discussing the Bill. “I was not talking about that,” broke in Cr. Murray. “I was only concerned with the provisions of the Bill. Cr. Coyle is wasting the council’s time.” “Cr. Murray was sounding the praises of the council in another part of the Town Hall when the Bill was being discussed,” returned Cr. Coyle. Cr. Entrican’s motion was carried.