CIVIC CONTROL

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 862, 4 January 1930, Page 8

CIVIC CONTROL

SYDNEY PREFERS CITY COUNCIL EX-LORD MAYOR HERE “The succes that has attended the administration of the Sydney civic commissioners may be judged by the fact that in November last the Government passed a Bill providing for the re-establish-ment of a city council. This was the reply of Mr. J. H. Mostyn, exLord Mayor of Sydney, who is at present in Auckland, to a statement appearing in the Sydney “Daily Guardian” of December 23, in which it is stated that during the commissioners’ two years of office a saving of £256,000 had been effected. Mr. Mostyn, who was Lord Mayor of Sydney when the civic commissioners took office on January 10, 1925, entirely refutes the statement that a saving of this amount was effected by the present administration. “Certain savings have been effected," he told a Sun man this morning, hut they are largely the result of operations set in train by the City Council while it was in office.” In 1927, said Mr. Mostyn, the council had the big Bunnerong Power Station in course of construction, and in that year the council’s general manager reported that as a result of that undertaking the council would have to show a loss of £54,000 over a period of three years. However, as it afterward turned out there was a loss of only £33,737, according to the commissioners’ report. Also, the efficiency of the power supply and its greatly increased popularity with householders led to an enormous increase in the sale of electrical appliances. The result was a saving of £50,263 during the period named. “Part of the so-called saving was also effected by the simple matter of increasing the rates,” said Mr. Mostyn. “In 1927 the city council reduced the i;ates by a id in the £ and also succeeded in that year in showing a surplus of £27,326. On taking over the reins of government one of

the first acts of the commissioners was to increase the rates by id in the £, this giving them an increase in revenue of £85,000. Together with the saving of £50,263 on the Electricity Department, this has given the administration a saving of over £135,000 this year,” said Mr. Mostyn. “Their surplus is shown at £20,000. It can be seen that part of this saving has come from the pockets of the ratepayers and the other from the operations of the last council.” It was the National Government that decided to place the administration of the city under the control of commissioners, and it was the same authority that had now decided to revert to the old system, he said. From this it was obvious that the Government was perfectly satisfied that the old system was the best. On account of the work involved in the preparation of the rolls it would not be until June 30 that a council could be elected. The council would then elect its Lord Mayor and, except that the council would be smaller than hitherto, the old system would again be in force. Previously there were 26 aldermen, but in the next council there would be only 15, the city being divided up into five wards with three aldermen in each ward. Mr. Mostyn said the chief commissioner received a salary of £4,500, together with the Lord Mayor’s entertainment allowance of £1,500. making a total of £6,000. As Lord Mayor, all he received was the entertainment allowance of £1,500. The two other commissioners received £2,500 each, making a total expenditure in this connection of £II,OOO. With the exception of one man, the commissioners were all public servants, and the fact that none of them were business men had given rise to some dissatisfaction.

Mr. Mostyn remarked that the commissioners pointed with some pride to the considerable saving effected by big staff reductions, but they omitted to mention that when the Bunnerong power station was completed 2,100 men went off the pay roll as a matter of course. Also, in putting staff men off they had adopted the expensive policy of cutting off the older hands and thus committing themselves to the payment of big retiring allowances. The more economical procedure would have been to pay off the men with fewer years of service to their credit. A very erroneous impression in regard to savings in various departments had also been created by grouping departments together. Referring to an alleged saving effected in the operating of the baths, Mr. Mostyn drew attention to the fact that previously the baths were treated as a separate department, and judged on their own figures. The commissioners now effected a saving in this department by coupling baths with the returns from the weighing machines, conveniences and the issue of hawkers’ licences. “And there is very little upkeep in hawkers’ licences,” added Mr. Mostyn. These are only a few instances that can be picked out from a cursory glance at the figures, said Mr. Mostyn. What is most important, however, is the fact that the people who demanded the appointment of civic commissioners are now demanding, and have obtained, a return to the old system of government by City Council.

Mr. Mostyn is at present in Auckland in connection with the attempt to be made at Kaitaia by Mr. Norman (“Wizard”) Smith to lower Australian and New Zealand speed records. While in New Zealand Mr. Mostyn is taking an active interest in municipal and local body affairs. In .Tune next he will again offer his services at the election of the Sydney City Council.