TO UNSEAT “TRANSPORT SIX”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 821, 15 November 1929, Page 6

TO UNSEAT “TRANSPORT SIX”

Motion Rejected By Council SHARP CRITICISM OF BOARD BV 10 votes to six. tlie City Council rejected a motion last evening calling’ upon the “Transport Six " to resign. The motion, which was in the name of Cr. G. Grey Campbell, was inspired by the recent increase in transport fares. The mover desired that the six council representatives should tender their resignations in order that the ratepayers should be given early opportunity to approve or condemn, through an election, the policy of the Transport Board.

Although the Mayor, Air. G. Baildon, ruled that the members affected might vote, none did so. In moving his motion, Cr. Campbell said that no outside body or individual or interest of any kind had consulted him with a view to the removal of the City representatives. On the contrary, lie had framed it on his own initiative, and because he felt he was acting in the interests of ratepayers. No bus interest had approached him. Cr. E. J. Phelan: Has that been suggested ? Continuing, Cr. Grey Campbell said tho suggestion had certainly been made. He wished to make his position clear. Although the council’s representatives had given full information about tho question of flat-rate fares, they had omitted to ask the council’s opinion on an increase in concession card prices. “I feel the matter is past the stage in which this council must take the responsibility of 0.K.-ing or not the policy of increased fares,” declared Cr. Campbell. “The responsibility should now be passed on to ratepayers, who should be allowed to express their views by an immediate election. He realised that the council had no mandatory power to make the “six” resign, but he believed that should his motion go through the representatives would find themselves in a very invidious position if they did not. The board was a trading concern whose directors had lost the confidence of shareholders. Cr. Campbell had never before known the three City papers to agree on any particular policy, but on the question of transport, all were of the opinion that the board had lost popular confidence. The recent fares increase was the climax to a series of blunders. The board was made up largely of the Tramways Committee, which had lost £ 30,000 as a result of the late one penny fare experiment. Cr. Phelan: That’s not correct. After ho had criticised the board on its decision to employ labour on tram extensions by contract, whereby fewer men had been employed than the public had been led to expect, Cr. Campbell was told he had spoken out his time. Ho was allowed to continue by unanimous vote. The summary dismissal of tho flat-rate fare, the dispute with the union, the failure to define a policy tor elimination of bus losses, all had combined to disturb the public. Cr. Campbell urged that every avenue of economy should be explored, and quoted figures to show that overhead costs had been greatly increased. Cr. W. IT. Murray seconded Cr. Campbell. “When the Transport Bill came before the council first,” he said, “I strongly objected to the constitution of the board. At that time, Cr. Phelan supported me and. though he is a member of the board, I believe he thinks the same now. “I believe men working under the board are receiving 25 per cent, better

wages nnd conditions than those under any private company ” remarked Or. id. M. Irvine. Cr. J. Paterson read a letter from Mr. J. A. C. Alluni, chairman of the board, saying that there was no stoppage of giving information to inquirers. “Is it wise to change horses in the middle of the road?” he asked. Cr. 11. P. Burton suggested that, in his judgment, Cr. Campbell did not give one iota of argument to substantiate his case. “I investigated affairs in Sydney and Brisbane,” he said, “and I have come to the conclusion that an improvement would be made if we could transport our critics to those two months. The systems in Australia are not run as well as the Auckland system.” A suggestion made by Cr. B. L. Bagnail was that harm was caused by the publicity given of small criticisms of the board. There was to much decrying of the board, he claimed. “I have been told that, should I support Cr. •Campbell, I would be supporting bus and oil interests,” said Cr. T. Bloodworth. “I know where the bus and oil interests are. When people talk to me about Cr. Campbell, I tell them they do not know what they are talking about. Individually the board members are my friends; collectively, they are making an awful mess of their job. Admittedly, it is a difficult job, but I maintain horses can be changed in the middle of the road. It cannot be denied that the leader of this particular team of horses has been kicking and rearing in all directions. He is the worst advertiser in this city. He puts the worst goods in the window and says the worst things for the people he wants to please. The biggest part of the responsibility of the concern still rests with the City. I do not intend to be a candidate for the board again ” Cr. M. J. Coyle: No. You would not like the job—it is too difficult. The Mayor called Cr. Coyle to order, and Cr. Bloodworth said he already had too many municipal tasks. Cr. Melville did not think the position would be improved by changing the board. The efforts of the board were defended vigorously by the DeputyMayor, Cr. A. J. Entrican. The elective system was advocated by Cr. J. R. Lnndon, who contended no other method of forming the board would satisfy. Cr. Lnndon maintained that attempts had been put on foot to prevent the public from exercising a vote. Continuing, be criticised Mr. Allum and Mr. T-. E. Rhodes, Mayor of Mount Albert, and .a member of the board. They had, ho said, sent telegrams to the Right Hon. J. G. Coates asking in effect that the Transport Board not be made elective until its present nominated term expired. The division list was as follows; For (G): Crs. Bartram, Bloodworth. Grey Campbell, Donald, Lnndon and Murray. Against (10): Cr. Ellen Melville, Cr Alice Basten and Crs. Bagnail, Bennett, Brownlee, Burton, Casey, Dempsey, Irvine and Paterson.