“CONFOUNDED POLITICS”

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1054, 19 August 1930, Page 10

“CONFOUNDED POLITICS”

M.P.’S ATTEMPT TO ALTER TRANSPORT ACT MR. ALLUM HITS OUT “I have absolutely no interest whatever in the political aspects of transport. It is always these confounded politics that harm these trading concerns —and the Transport Board is a trading conThis was the remark of the chairman of the Transport Board, Mr. J. A. C. Allum, during a meeting of the J board this morning. He was re- i ferring to an attempt being made in j Wellington by Mr. G. G. Munns, M.P. j for Roskill, to get the Minister of ‘ Transport to sponsor his plan to have the constituting Act of the Transport Board so amended as to alter the prescribed method of electing is members. Mr. Munns urges that instead of each of the local authorities forming the j transport district electing its repre- j sentatives, the board would be elected throughout the whole area from a common list of candidates. “As chairman of the board, I want to see that transport in the area controlled by the board is run as well as it can be and that everybody gets fair play,” continued Mr. Allum. The success of the board depended upon the representation that the outer areas received. He would deplore any move that would leave any area v ithout representation. Mr. Allum paid tribute to the co-operation which members showed, and their desire to assist all districts equally. Analysis of the minutes would show that there had not been any cleavage such as City v the rest. There was no feeling among the districts, and that was something of • which the board could be proud. LETTER TO M.P.'s When he received advice of Mr. i Munns’s move, Mr. Allum communicated with Auckland members of Par- j liament, informing them that the i, member’s plan had not emanated from j the board nor had any such sugges- j tion been made by it. He recalled that i the Transport Commission recoin- j mended the present method of elec- i tion, which was approved by all the * constituent local bodies. Since the board had been formed, two important ; loan proposals had been approved by j overwhelming majorities, which indi- ! cated that no disaffection existed. Mr. Allum also wrote to Mr. Munns | requesting that no action be taken in . pursuit of his proposal until the j board had had opportunity of express ing an opinion.

Mr. E. Morton fOnehunga), moved 1 the following resolution: —“That this I report be received and the chairman’s | action in communicating with the members of Parliament be approved and that a further letter be sent stating that the existing method of election should not be interfered with because it ensures that each district shall have representation.” “In my opinion the board is getting along very nicely,” said Mr. Morton. “There are no complaints except in a few disgruntled quarters. If the vote was taken over the whole area, Mr. M. J. Coyle (City) said he would not care two straws, but in the interests of the people the systei* ought to remain as a t present, he thought. The election next year might alter the personnel, but that would not matter. The City with its 50,000 votes could probably swamp the outer areas, or the suburbs could combine against the City under Mr. Munn’s scheme. There had been some feeling when the board was first constituted, but that had died away and all districts were getting fair play. AFRAID? “There is nothing to be afraid of if ihe Government does alter the Act,” declared Mr. E. H. Potter (Mount Eden). Mr. Coyle: Nobody said we were afraid. Mr. Potter: The Power Board is elected throughout all its district. It is the fairer system. Mr. A. J. Entrican (City): I cannot understand why there should be a change. There has not even been an election yet to test the Act. Have the local bodies suffered in any way? The Government does not want to alter the electoral system. The chairman, Mr. J. A. C. Allum: Quite right. Mr. Entrican: Mr. Munns is the man who wants it altered and we know who is behind him. If it were changed it would lead to much illfeeling. There would be a strong attempt made by the outer areas to displace the City. Mr. Potter is at the bottom of it all. Mr. Potter (indignantly): I know nothing about it. I am listening to you. Mr. Morton’s motion was carried, Mr. Potter alone dissenting.