HEATED DEBATE IN COUNCIL

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 659, 10 May 1929, Page 10

HEATED DEBATE IN COUNCIL

Mr. Allum To Stay On Board ANGRY VOICES FROM GALLERY BEFOUL an excited public gallery -which ai time* ga\r voice to angry murmurs, the City Council last ei ening debated the question of the resignation of Mr. J. A. C • Allum, chairman of the Transport Board, and a representative of the council on that board. Mr. Allum lost his countseat in the recent municipal elections. When Cr. W. LI. Murray rose to move a motion to remove Air. Allum and five others as council's representatives the Mayor, Mr. G. Baildon. threw a bombshell by refusing to accept the motion. He moved that the question be defened. Cr. T. Bloodworth then proposed the amendment that Air. Allure's resignation alone be accepted, and discussion proceeded upon this opening. The amendment was ultimately rejected and the Mayor carried his intention.

CR. MURRAY'S motion was as follows: — “That in terms of the Auckland Transport Board Act, 1928, this council now resolves to, and doth hereby, remove from membership of the Transport Board, Messrs. G. Baildon, A. J. Entrican, J. A. C. Allum, C. Ashley, E. J. Phelan, M. J. Coyle, as the six members duly appointed by resolution of this council as members of the Transport Board, and that this council shall at a duly constituted meeting to be held not later than May 30, 1929, appoint other six members to hold office until May 31, 1931, subject to the provision of the ;> Auckland Transport Board Act, 1928.” COUNCIL NOT GAGGED The Mayor, in ruling the notice of motion out of order, said he did not wish to block discussion upon the subject. On the contrary, he was prepared to bring it up at the next meeting of the council. If it were carried then, it would take effect probably during the following month. “I ask you also to delay consideration of any matters connected with transport for the time being,” Mr. Baildon went on. “We have been through a troublous time —a very troublous time —and you know' that a w'eek ago there was an upset among the old councillors. Again, the poll yesterday was carried —much to the surprise of most of us. “It seems to me now that the public is in a nervous state, and it would be better for us to sit down quietly and think this question over. “We have carried the poll, and now it is the duty of the board to get the work done. The board meets on Tuesday, and it is expected that specifications for the work will have been prepared by the engineers, so we will be able to go ahead w r ith it.” The Mayor moved that consideration of the question be deferred till the next meeting of the council. “I am going to do the right thing, calmly and quietly,” he added. “GO AHEAD” Cr. Murray: Seeing that the motiou is moved and seconded The Mayor: I ruled it out of order. Cr. Murray: I think it my privilege to speak. The Mayor: Go ahead.

spired the Act that the membership would be reviewed duriug May, 1929. He would support the j amendment, because tbe people bad shown clearly that they did not desire Mr. Allum to remain on the board. He personally was equally willing to give an account of bis stewardship, and if he had not been returned to the council, his first action would have been to resign. DEBATE WARMS UP “I don’t believe in kicking a man when he is downed by society,” declared Cr. A. J. Entrican, with great warmth. “I stand here and say there is no man who has done more solid and honest work for the transport of Auckland than Mr. Allum A Gallery Voice: Rot! “ Should we remove a man because the mob says so? Angry murmurs in a rapid crescendo came from the gallery. The Mayor: Silence! I will clear the gallery if there is any more of that. Cr. Murary, in speaking to the amendment, expressed astonishment that any councillor particularly the Deputy-Mayor, should advise the council to go against the will of the people. Cr. Entrican: I did not say that. Cr. Murray: The Deputy-Mayor said: “Why take heed of the voice of the mob?” —which is worse! Guarded stamping of feet in the gallery showed enthusiastic approval of Cr. Murray’s remark. Cr. Murray then recalled the remark of Cr. Entrican. who, when the Transport Bill had been passed, had said: “The one saving clause in the Bill is that the council will have six members on the board and will be able still to dominate the position.” Cr. Entrican: Quite right. Cr. Murray: What? Quite right? J am surprised again to hear the gentleman make this remark. Cr. Ellen Melville viewed Mr. Allum’s defeat in a different light from 1 that of Mr. Bloodworth. “I have met quite a number of people,” she said, “who said that if Cr. Allum had resigned instead of placing himself in the hands of the council, it would seriously have affected the carriage of the loan proposal. MR. LUNDON’S CHALLENGE

“I think no councillor should vote without speaking his opinion,” said Cr. J. R. Lundon.

Cr. Murray: I -want to say I am quite calm tonight, and I think the rest of the councillors are also. There is always calm after the storm. I would like to know on what grounds you rule my notice of motion out of order. I fail to see anything in your objection. It was lodged in the prescribed time and appears on the agenda paper. The Transport Board may meet on Tuesday, but what has that got to do with it? I feel surprised and disappointed if council is not to have an opportunity of discussion now. The Mayor: My reason is this: You were not a councillor when you sent in the motion. You only made your declaration yesterday. Cr. G. W. Hutchison mentioned that as about 38 per cent, of the council had been changed by the poll, it was desirable that the question be discussed immediately. Ci 4 . T. Bloodw’orth moved as an amendment that Mr. Allum's resignation be accepted. The Mayor: We can only send it to the board; Mr. Allum asks that. Or. Bloodworth: Well, who deals with it? Does the board or does the council? I move that we withdraw Cr. Allum’s nomination to the Transport Board and forward his resignation to the board. Mr. Allum has asked to be removed from the board. “Moreover, many of the people desire that Mr, Allum’s term as chairman and member of the Transport Board should cease. (Hear! Hear! from several councillors, and timid gallery interjectors.) There is no question about that!” DOUBLY UNFAIR Cr. Bloodworth added that in these circumstances it was unfair to the council, to Mr. Allum and to the board, to keep him on. It had been suggested that the result of the transport loan poll was an indication of Cr. Allum’s chairmanship on the Transport Board. The verdict of Wednesday, however, was no different from that of a week previously. It could not be taken in any way that the poll was a vindication of the board’s policy; on the contrary, he felt that the people voted in the complacent anticipation of a change in the personnel of the board. “This council is functioning this evening, or should function, to give effect to the people’s mandate. The people do not want Mr. Allum,” said Cr. F. N. Bartram.

The councillor challenged Mr. Baildon’s quashing of Cr. Murray’s motion and suggested the Major should seek the opinion of the city solicitor, Mr. J. Stanton, who was present. “I won’t allow you to question my ruling,” returned Mr. Baildon. Cr. Lundon: I think you are wrong. (Murmurs of approval from the gallery.) We had tbe opportunity of discussing Mr. Allum's position at the finest and most enthusiastic meeting Auckland has ever seen, declared Cr. Lundon, amid laughter. There was no doubt about Mr. Allum’s ability, and also no doubt about the people's mandate. By 13 votes to eight the amendment was lost and the Mayor's resolution was eventually carried. The council therefore will have an opportunity of again discussing the question at next council meeting, three weeks hence. The division list was as follows: — FOR THE AMENDMENT (8) Murray Bloodworth Phelan T.undon Grey Campbell Bartram Miss Basten Hutchison AGAINST (13) Donald Dempsey Coy.e Burton Paterson Ashley Bennett Irvine Brownlee Entrican Bagnall Baildon. Miss Melville

ANOTHER EXPOSITION Cr. Grey Campbell thought there was only need to deal with Mr. Allum's letter to the Mayor. “If there is any change we notify the Transport Board to the effect that we have recalled him. If we do not recall him, and his resignation goes to the secretary of the Transport Board, then there must be a by-election for the vacant seat on the board. “The loan was carried on a sympathy vote—the chance of giving employment to a large number of men—(Hear! Hear!) —and not as an expression of confidence in Mr. Allum,” said the councillor. The position was analagous to that of a director of a company who had lost the confidence of shareholders. If Mr. Allum desired to reinstate himself he should later offer himself for re-election when opportunity presented itself. Cr. E. J. Phelan reiterated his previously expressed opinion that the Transport Board should have been elective. As it was. he felt that it was the intention of those who in-