LABOUR'S CAMPAIGN

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 96, 24 April 1935, Page 10

LABOUR'S CAMPAIGN

REPLY TO MAYOR'S QUESTION

MR. SEMPLE'S- ANSWER

The Labour candidate for the Mayoralty, Mr. R. Semple, M.P., last night replied to the question asked by the Mayor, Mr. T.C. A. Hislop, as to what steps he would have taken during the most difficult period, 1931----33, to reconstruct city finances, other than those taken by the council under Mr. Hislop's leadership.

"In reply," said Mr. Semple, "I would have pursued a similar policy to the one carried out by Mr. Sullivan, the Mayor of Christchurch. Mr. Sullivan" did not discharge city employees and he did not reduce wages, but he paid to all relief workers employed by the council fourteen shillings per day, at the same time reducing the rate burden by £23,000 a year. If that policy was successful in Christchurch, it would have been equally as successful in Wellington.

"The difference between the attitude adopted by Mr. Sullivan, Labour Mayor, and the attitude adopted by Mr. Hislop was that the latter rigidly and strictly carried out the wishes of the Government, while the former positively refused, and adopted a more humane policy, which proved to be beneficial not only to the employees of the Christchurch City Council but also to the business community. Christchurch has even now 20 more permanent employees than ever before. ' "Secondly," said Mr. Semple, "if • I had been in the Mayor's position and had been compelled through circumstances over which I had no control to break my electioneering pledge and reduce the wages of the employees and discharge several hundred others, many of whom had been in the service for many years, before putting these men on the scrap heap and reducing their families to semi-starva-tion, I would have given an example .of personal sacrifice,. sincerity, and sympathy, 'by reducing my own honorarium."

The position in Christchurch under Labour control had been incorrectly represented by Mr. Hlslop, said Mr. Semple. The true facts had been handed to him by Mr. Sullivan, Kates had been reduced 'by an average of £23,000 a year since the Citizens' Association was in office in 1930-31. Labour on the City Council was not responsible for increases of rates made by other local bodies in Christchurch controlled by Labour's opponents, but, under-the statute, it must collect the rates levied by such bodies. It was admitted that, taking the whole of the rates levied in Christchurch and comparing that figure with the whole of Wellington, the rate levied in Christchurch per £1000 of rateable value was a fraction higher than in Wellington, but that was due to valuable Wellington endowments which Christchurch did not possess. The comparison made was unfair, because Labour did not control the bodies referred to, and therefore was not responsible for the rates levied.

So far as the tramway rate was concerned, Labour had only just taken control, and had a big deficit left as the legacy of Citizens' Association control. Were it not for this deficit built up by the Citizens' Association in the Tramway Board accounts, which two

outside public accountants revealed in their report to the board and the public, the total Christchurch,, rates would be definitely lower than the total Wellington, rates. CONVERSION OF LOANS. "Mr. Hislop does not appear to understand the Christchurch position in regard to conversion of-loans," said Mr. Semple. "The issue there is notj so much the saving of £17,000, but the facts, important to Christchurch, that there were 109 . special voting areas; that the special rates levied there varied in these special rating areas from- £2 15s in the business centre up to as much as £26 per £ 1000 of rateable value in one of the working-class suburbs; that Labour consolidated all these special rating areas into one area, with one, universal special rate of £2 15s per £1000 of rateable value. This means a great saving to working-class ratepayers in the suburbs, and the Labour section on the Council carried it against the Citizens' Association councillors, who were supported by the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce. Thus Mr. Hislop has missed the whole point in regard to the loan conversion question in Cbristchurch." Mr. Semple also referred to the fact that in addition to concessions to electricity users of £60,000 a year and rates reductions, Labour in Christchurch had added 100 miles of tarsealed roads in four years, laid 80 miles of water mains, maintained roads and parks efficiently,.-and maintained the wages rates of City Council employees without reduction, and paid relief workers 14s a day. EASTERN SUBURBS' NEEDS. The need for ttie provision" of more playing areas in the Kilbirnie and Lyall Bay districts was stressed by Councillor R. McKeen, M.P., a Labour candidate for the City Council and the Harbour Board, at Kilbirnie. He said that Kilbirnie and Lyall Bay would eventually become the centre for most forms of sport owing to the fact that the largest suitable areas were to be found in those localities. For instance, Kilbirnie Park could be extended another ten acres, and ■ the necessary reclamation work should be undertaken at the earliest possible moment. A large area of ground adjoining the Lyall Bay reserve should also be acquired by the city. Mr. McKeen also advocated that a section adjoining the Kilbirnie Post Office should be acquired by the council for the purpose of erecting a library. A library situated there wonld serve the whole of the Kilbirnie, Lyall Bay, and Hataitai districts/: