HIGH HAND

NZ Truth, Issue 1145, 10 November 1927, Page 6

HIGH HAND

Auckland's Municipal

Autocrats

(From "N.Z, Truth's" Special Auckland Rep.)

If the mismanagers of Auckland's municipal affairs would display some initiative and ability m the vital matters of transport and the main thoroughfares — and could point" to any one of their many socalled enterprises which could bo proved to show a genuine profit — "N.Z. Truth" would not cavil at their extraordinary antagonism to the efforts of Dr. Rayner to erect swimming baths at Point Chevalier. "TRUTH" . holds no brief : for the proprietors of Dixieland or for their spirit of enterprise, but on the other hand it is strongly opposed to the increasing tendency on the part of the City Council to scotch anything m the way of private enterprise. There is a feeling that the more liberty that is given to either Government or municipality, the less there is left for the. people. Without exaggeration, it can be said that liberty is slowly but surely being strangled to death m this bright young Dominion by elected bodies which the masses have been' foolish enough to vote into an authority — and which is rapidly becoming an autocracy. So far as is known, the City Council has at no time made any suggestion of erecting baths at Point Chevalier and prior to the building of Dixieland the recreation reserve was more or less neglected —if not ignored. Neither did the city stepfathers put themselves out to provide /my adequate transport for those who wished to visit the spot until comparatively recently. At Point Chevalier the tide is not always suitable for bathing and it remains to be shown that the council have provided any facilities worthy of the'name for those who might wish to indulge m this fgrm of amusement during past summers.

TRANSPORT MONOPOLY

There is also a far b?oader principle involved — and that is the unwarranted and illiberal policy of the parks committee m making a dead set at what is nothing but legitimate enterprise on perfectly legitimate lines; something at the same time which will be a boon to thousands and a very great asset to the district. . . As to the plaintive whine of the parks committee regarding heavy expenditure on recreation grounds, that car) be ruled out as pure eye.wash. It is true that much money has been disbursed m this direction, but it should be. borne m mind that much of the outlay has gone into acquiring areas at a high figure when one or more areas which had been presented to the city have been shamefully neglected for years to the disgust of the donors. If, on the other hand, as the parks committee contend, they have been deprived of much waterfront area by the harbor board and the Government, they have to some degree only themselves to blame. They displayed wonderfully little initiative for a body of so-called business men, whose eyes were chiefly focussed — not entirely without selfinterest — on the main chance nearer the hub of things. This unpalatable fact will not bear contradiction. "Truth" fails to see how the erection of swimming baths on the most up-to-date lines can be an injury to the public interest. That is 1 pure, unadulterated piffle. It is high time that this arrogant attempt to frustrate a worthy enterprise had the lid put. on it once and for all, for apart from the parks committee making themselves appear ridiculous, their attitude is going far beyond the bounds of reason.