NOT CONSTRUCTIVE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 650, 30 April 1929, Page 7

NOT CONSTRUCTIVE

MAYOR’S CRITICISM OF MR. BLOODWORTH UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF Prefacing a criticism of Cr. T. Bloodworth by a defence of his own actions while holding office as Mayor, Mr. G. Baildon last evening addressed a meeting at the Leys Institute, Ponsonby. Mr. Baildon reviewed the work of the council during the last three years, ! emphasising the progress that had been made in supplying the city with i a pure and adequate supply of water. ' Huia and Nihotupu were excellent l schemes and, should it happen that Auckland outgrew them, the council j could always turn to Huuua, where 23 j million gallons of water a day were available and where water rights had 1 been secured. Roading, town-planning, the Civic Square, drainage, recreation grounds I were other aspects of municipal enterprise which Mr. Baildon enlarged on. \ “Mr. Bloodworth has said that 1 have done practically nothing during the last three years, but I think I have shown that that is not so,” continued the Mayor. “As a matter of fact, though he is quite a good councillor, Mr. Bloodworth has never had anything constructive to offer the council. The only suggestion he made was that we build another 50 workers’ homes when we were already losing heavily on those we had.” Two resolutions which Cr. Bloodworth had suggested be stood over for consideration by the new council were then mentioned by the candidate. One concerned the Town Hall stall. A resolution had been prepared after careful investigation and Mr. Baildon said that it seemed to him a waste of time to hold it over so that the new council would have to make all inquiries again. The other resolution concerned the £2,000 which had been offered for improvements on the j old fish market site. In the opinion of the candidate the Harbour Board could have sent the council packing without any consideration. There was j then no reason for deferring acceptance of a most satisfactory offer. I Mr. Baildon criticised the policy of the other two condidates. He gave it i as his opinion that Mr. Murray, with i the assistance of Mr. Lundon, was try-1 ing to pick up information from council employees. In answer to a question Mr. Baildon gave an assurance that many of the unemployed would be absorbed by work on the Waterfront Road. A vote of thanks and confidence was passed. Mr. James Stewart presided ! over the meeting, which was a little I unruly at times, and with him on the ! platform was Mr. H. R. McKenzie, j chairman of the Harbour Board.