TRANSPORT BOARD.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 124, 28 May 1929, Page 12

TRANSPORT BOARD.

MR. MORTON'S RESIGNATION. RATEPAYERS TO DECIDE. ELECTION NEXT MONTH. ELECTIVE PRINCIPLE ENDORSED. By not pressing for tin , recall of Mr. P. S. Morton as their representative on' the Auckland Transport Board, delegates from the Onehunga Borough Council, One Tree Hill, Mount Roskill and Mount Wellington Road Boards, and Ellerslie and Panmure-Town Boards last evening endorsed the principle of aiming to make the board elective instead of nominative. A conference of the six local bodies in the No. 3 transport area was held for the purpose of considering Mr. Morton's expressed intention to' resign his position, and was attended by 3(5 delegates. After lengthy discussion, a motion designed to remove Mr. Morton forthwith was defeated by an . overwhelming majority. Had it been sustained, the delegates would hare been required to nominate another representative to replace the sitting member, but as the position now stands the duty will devolve upon the. ratepayers. . . Mr. .S. I. Goodall. a member of the Mount Roek'ill Road Board, presided. Mr. Morfori Reviews Events. At the invitation of the meeting, Mr Morton reviewed the events that culmiinatecl in the formation of ,the Transport ■.Board. He said that ..when the Transport •Bill was framed, the outside local bodies »never lost sight of the need .-for: the board fbeing made elective, and only agreed to Jtlthe present constitution because they that the bill would be killed if ;',they did not accept the City Council's terms, which provided for an elective |board in 1931. "«j Under the present conditions, with the ,-Xity Council holding the balance of ujvoting power, the position of the outside *local body representatives was untenable. ,7;The strain of service on the board had too much for his health, and his was prompted because he unable to carry on. Incidentally, «J3iie resignation could be used tp .help instrumental in the formation of board to have the body made elce ■"live, in accordance with the original .-intention. "I fee] that if I can be made r'use of to bring about that condition, γ-then we will be well on the way to that which our delegates •fought for," he added, in explaining that «3&e had no desire to remain on the board ,'-a day longer than possible. /;;* "An elective body has to come if you ;;;expect fair ternis from the Transport ; Board. I say that advisedly." '"'' Mr. Morton also spoke of his advocacy i of better facilities for the Mount Roskil], ■.JAvondale and Onehunga districts, and certain items of expenditure in the balance-sheet of the Aboard. He rounded off his arguments by "The tramways nc.ver; paid tetueir way out of revenue during the time ■'the Auckland City Council had them. ■ That I issue as a challenge. Mr. Alluin Tliae already been challenged by ti , leading of the city, and.he daren't '"reply." Mr. Morton complained of the support given him during his -term of office, although he had done his "best to advance suggestions that he would tend towards an "efficient and payable transport system. .-.His reason for opposing the recent loan proposals was that he believed the ;; methods of the uiamigeinent of the hoard "were absolutely obsolete. If the system not paying to-day, how itbe to dp so when interest, sinking "iiind and working charges on the loan Would absorb.'£Bo,ooo a year? Either faree had to be increased to meet this

extra charge, 1 -or else a rate would have to be levied over the whole transport area. Had his advocacy for trolley cars been listened to the extensions provided for in the loan could have been accoinplished for a little, over one-third of the amount estimated. Discussing his position on the board Mr. Morton said: —;I have been hopelessly in the minority. I feel I have gone there and done my best to bring about, conditions thatwoiild improve transport for the outside,.areas. I have done by-best and cannot do any more." "Scrap of Paper." Mr. I. J. Goldstine (One Tree Hill) questioned the attitude of Mr. Morton in handing his-resignation into the Onehunga Borough Council when lie was the nominee of all the local bodies in the. No. 3 area. It appeared that he was flouting the other iive bodies concerned. ■The Act distinctly provided for resignations to be handed to the secretary or chairman of the board, and therefore the resignation to the Onehunga Council was "not worth the paper it-was written on." Mr. Morton said hie nomination had come from OnehungU, and he felt quite within his rights in ' writing to the council. However, he handed no resignation into that quarter. "I have done my best to keep in contact with the majority of the delegates." A Voice: We knew no more than was published in the papers. Arguing that-by. creating an election of oae member it would not make the whole Transport Board elective, Mr. E. A. Pearce (Mount Roskill) did not see the sense of Mr. Morton putting the district to the expense of a poll by deferring his resignation till May 31. Mr. Morton said the cost of an election would be borne by the Transport Board. If an election had to be held it would serve to communicate to the Government the desire to make the board elective. Mr. A. Sanft (Mount Roskill) said Mr. Morton had not worked in the interests of the outside local bodies. His efforts could be described ■ as destructive criti ciem. Mr. F. W. Mountjoy (Onehunga) said the.people of Onehunga appreciated Mr. Morton's work, and stood behind him in all he had done. "We don't want a man to toady to the City Council, but one who,will speak his mind," he added. The Chairman: The position is whether Mr. Morton desires/ t<s be relieved or whether- the meeting; proposes to take any steps failing/any move by Mr. Morton. Mr. Goldstine said the matter was in the hands of the meeting, and not in those of Mr. Morton. "The question is whether the position warrants an election by ,the ratepayers," he explained. "If the whole board was going to be elective I would favour an election, but a poll is'going to mean expense to the Transport Board, which is you and I.' Motion Defeated. "I move that Mr. Morton terminate his engagement with the Transport Board," said Mr. Sanft, amidst laughter. He ultimately agreed to modify his motion to read: "That Mr. Morton be removed from the board forthwith." Mr. S. Scarborough (Mount Roskill) seconded. After several amendments had been rejected oil the score that they were direct negatives, the motion was defeated on the voices. The decision roused the meeting to applause. "I thank you sincerely for the emphatic vote you have given me. I feel too full for words," said Mr. Morton. "I think the position is that Mr. Morton continues to be a member of the board, and it reets with him whether he presents his resignation to the proper quarter, the secretary or chairman, on or after May 31," said' the chairman. "In that event it will cause an extraordinary vacancy, and an election by the ratepayers." Mr. Morton, who gave an assurance that he would not resign before May 31, was given a vote of thanks for his services on the board.