COMMITTEES APPOINTED

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 119, 22 May 1931, Page 3

COMMITTEES APPOINTED

AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL

criticism: of selection. CHANGES IN CHAIRMAN SHIP. When the Mayor,, Mr. Geo. Hutchison, submitted the personnel of the standing committees at the meeting of the City Council last evening there was considerable criticism of the selection of chairmen. Eventually the list was adopted as submitted. In asking to be taken off the Legal and By-laws Committee, Mr. J. B. Paterson said he thought it strange that he should be left off the Parks Committee, after he had been for so many years connected with it. He had put forward publicly, as one of his qualifications for re-election to the council, that he had been for the past two years chairman of tlie Parks Committee. "The manner in which the committees have been chosen shows a want of confidence in the old councillors, and I do not think it reasonable that they should have to sit under young and inexperienced chairmen," said Mr. M. J. Bennett. "I think that the various committees should have power to elect their own chairmen." Mr. Bennett moved an amendment accordingly, and it was seconded by Sir. W. 11. Murray. "I am certain that the Mayor had the utmost difficulty in appointing the various committees and in selecting the men where they would serve best," said Mr. A. J. Entrican. "We believe in team work between the council and the Mayor, and lie should have the right to select his right-hand men. That is the Mayor's prerogative." Strong exception to the selection of the various committees was taken by Mr. E. J. Phelan. He instanced the cases of Messrs. Entrican and Paterson, and said that there were no two men in the city who had greater knowledge and who were better fitted to deal with waterworks and park matters than they. ' No Lack of Confidence." "It is not through any lack of confidence in the old members that these have been selected," said the Mayor, Mr. Geo. Hutchison. "It has been suggested that some have not had experience, but I maintain that they have had wide experience. To say that they should not be chairmen until they have had experience is like telling a child not to go near the water until it can swim."

He had been deeply conscious of his responsibility, said the Mayor, and he had arranged the list only after considerable thought. It was quite true that two old councillors had not been reappointed chairmen, and that one new councillor had. In that case the appointee had served for eight years as chairman of the parks committee of another very important local body. He had not disclosed all tiie plans he had for councillors, and to some avlio were not committee chairmen he hoped to delegate duties 011 his behalf which would be equally important.

The amendment was defeated by 12 votes to 8, and the committees were elected as recommended:— Finance. —The Mayor (chairman), chairmen of committees, and Crs. Bennett and Paterson* Legal and By-laws.—Crs. Entrican (chairman), ,Basten, Burton, Coakley, Murray, Paterson and Kobertson. Works. —Crs. Burton (chairman), Bloodworth, Campbell, Coyle, Donaldson, Paterson and Phclan, and Mr. George Baildon. Parks and Reserves.—Crs. Taylor (chairman), Basten, Bennett, Donald, Donaldson, Leonard and Plielan. Water. Abattoir, Stores and Markets. —Crs. Campbell (chairman), Coyle, Donald, Lntricar, Henry, Leonard and Murray. Library. —Crs. Melville (chairwoman), Bartram, Coakley, Donaldson, Henry, Jenkins, and Martin; Mr. J. Kenderdinc and Professor Segar. Town Planning.—Crs. Bloodworth (chairman), Bartram, Jenkins, Martin, Melville and Kobertson; Professoi Knight and Messrs. W. J. Iloldsworth, C. K. Grierson and J. Dempsev. Leys Institute.—Sir W. Cecil Leys (chairman), Messrs. G. Bead, J. B, Johnston, W. L. Thompson, B. Bew and W. T. Brown; L'rs. Bartram, Bennett and Murray.