"UNFAIR ATTACK"

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 14, 16 July 1931, Page 13

"UNFAIR ATTACK"

THE MAYOR SPEAKS OUT

AMBULANCE PROPAGANDA

THE 'REFUSED GRANT

A vigorous reply to what ho termed the "unfair ana unjustified newspaper propaganda of the Free Ambulance against the City Council" was male by the Mayor (Mi.'.T. C. A. Hislop) ..t last night's meeting of the City Council. "To say, tho least of it, it was tactless and childish," said the Mayor, "and if they wanted sympathy they hsvo gone the best way not to get it. 3'

The matter canio up when Councillor Chapman moved (notice having been given): "That the reply to the deputation fi'om the Wellington Free Ambulance Society in connection with the application for subsidy be rescinded, and the society be informed that the matter will be reconsidered in October next." '

Councillor Chapman said that unfortunately he was absent from the council meeting when the deputation from tho society met tho council. He felt that the council would recognise that its reply was unsympathetic to tho aims and objects of the society. Tho Free Ambulance, he said, dealt with 500 cases in Wellington City every month. That was a "very largo number, and it would be obvious that the Ambulance could not carry on1 this work without some assistance. The ■ circumstances were such, he thought, that a very substantial cash donation should be made by the council. It might _be that in the prosent circumstances it would not be PQssiblo for the council to do what it had done before, but he thought it could let the society know that the matter would be reconsidered in October. ■ Councillor Meadowcroft: "What! With »■ £11,000 deficit1?" Councillor;. Chapman admitted that the position was not altogether rosy at present, but they would know better where they stood in October, when they wero half-way through the financial year., . ' ",■ Councillor Bennett seconded the motion, saying that he had always been of the opinion that the council should do something for' the Ambulance. — MAYOR'S STATEMENT. "We are all of us sympathetic with the Free Ambulance and jeeognise the value of its work," said the Mayor, "nevertheless we have to lopk at our own position first," ; ; ,'• MOST DRASTIC REDUCTIONS. The council was bound, he said, to have a deficit at the end of the year, despite tho fact that' it had mado the most drastic reductions ever made 1 in tho City of Wellington. In theso circumstances are we justified in giving a penny-to any outside body? he asked. " . The council had to reduce tho number of its employees and tho salaries of its present staff, and any other penny given to outside bodies would mean the reduction in money for ita own purposes, and would only moan putting more of its employees out of work. Ho failed to see how the council could give anything to an outside body, least of all the Free Ambulance, whose position, as revealed by the last statement of accounts, showed that it was well able to carry on this year alone. He thought the Ambulance could carry on this year without any risk whatever. A "councillor: "You don't think they will have to closedown?" Tho Mayor: "Well, the figures speak for themselves, and'l don't, think they have been very fair in their criticism of the council.", ' "UNFAIR AND UNJUSTIFIABLE." Instead of realising the difficulties the council was in, the Mayor went on, those in charge of the affairs of the Free Ambulance had launched out' into a campaign of unfair and unjustifiable criticism. Other outside bodies which had been similarly treated by the council had been far more fair and generous in the matter. For instance,: the Technical College Board, whose subsidy lad been cut off, had thanked the council for its past assistance, and had taken the matter in the way it should have been taken. The Free Ambulance, which tho council had wanted to assist, had, on the other hand, gono in for extensive newspaper propaganda against the council. "It.is unfair and unjustifiable propaganda," said the Mayor, "and reflects no credit on the reputations of the' so-called business men who are in charge of the affairs of the Free Ambulance. To say the loast of it, it was tactless, and childish, and if they want sympathy.and assistance tlio best way not to get id is. to start a newspaper attack upon us. They should have realised our position." ; Referring to a statement made by Mr. G. Mitchell, acting-chairman of the Free Ambulance Board, regarding the council's decision not to pay the grant, the Mayor said that'the whole of the criticism vras the most childish and unfair' thing he had ever read. 'They all had the interests of the Free Ambulance at heart, but such tactics on tho part of the membors of the society wore not calculated to make the council regard them favourably. SERVICE MIGHT BE CURTAILED. Councillor Chapman said he regretted the attack upon tho council, but that did not alter the fact that the Ambulance Society was being very badly hit by the depression, and did need help. Tho position of the service this year was going to be extreme, and it was possible that the service would have to be curtailed. The £14,000 from the Art Union, referred to by the Mayor, was earmarked for the new building. A great part of the ambulance work was due to street accidents, and the council had, a real duty to the service in the matter of ensuring the efficient maintenance of the service.

Councillor Chapman's proposal was defeated by 10 votes to 4.

the ambulance service should suffer. He had been rather surprised to find that the council would not even consider fche matter in October.

Mr. Mitchell said ho had quite expected that whatever contribution was made from the council would be veryi greatly reduced, but he had hoped that there would be a contribution. He referred to the influence the council's, action would have on other contributors.

Mr. H. M. Jones suggested that the matter should now be ended. The ambulance board_ had registered, an emphatic protest against the major body cutting out the grant. ; He considered that a bad example had been sot, but was perfectly satisfied that public opinion would compel tho City Council in the not distant future to review sympathetically a grant, which, in his opinion, was paramount among all the grants that the council, had to make. Even if the same stand wero taken next year, tho question was ao important that another City Council would certainly see that right and justice wero done to the Free Ambulance Board. If the local.body getting 90 per cont. of the total benefit was now standing down, and the board was to be asked to carry on the service as best it could, he sincerely hoped that the outside bodies would not take their, cue from the example set by the Wellington City Council. By their action the Wellington City Council had put themselves out of step with public opinion. Mr. Chapman: "Of cases attended in June, Wellington city and suburbs had 544 of a total of 660." The chairman said he did, hope that the'local bodies around. Wellington would realise that the present service was far cheaper than any past service, and cheaper than any service they could inaugurate themselves. Ho did hope that local bodies would appreciate that fact when they were making contributions to the board's funds. At a later stage, the chairman said that the service was about £100 down on tho past month's working.