GREAT SYDNEY FIGHT.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17316, 30 November 1921, Page 10

GREAT SYDNEY FIGHT.

THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. "GLOVES OFF" TO LABOUR. (Br Ca'/.e —Pr«.s Association—Coprrigi't.} lAustra'.iir. ar.i X.Z. Ciele Association.) SYEXEY, November -0. The city •.nunicipol elections on December In iirorciio.thc keenest fight, in the history cf the city. BoiSi ticks have organised* to the utmost. The campaign has been conducted with, the gloves off, and has been • marked .by wholesale' charges and recriminations. The Civic Reform League aims at ousting what it claims is the ''caueusl.onnd majority now ruling the Council,'' and which is allegedly flouting the. rifthls of the majority of ratepayers bc-si,-ks bringing tho city finances into a state of chaos and threatened bankruptcy.

Tiie Lr.bour Party, however, professes confidence that its three years' record will relnin its present majority, though i the tv.Y) •.'•heme's which it reckoned upon | to strengthen its position —the- Amended Council Franchise Bill and "the absorption of Paddington within the city limits—suffered defeat. 1 lie keenest interest is taken in the result/ as a test of tho feeling in the electorate generally. (rftO.M OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) SYDNEY. November 2'2. Great efforts are being made by tho Civic Reform League to put an end to Labour rule in tho Sydney City Council. The elections t-ake placo on December Ist There are 33 wards in the city, each returning two aldermen, and the elections are liold triennially. Tho existing franchise for the city elections is liberal to the non-taxpayer, almost to the point of absurdity—being much wider, for example, than of any New Zealand city—and three years ago it was a good enough, instrument to enablo the Labour Party to win more than half the seate, and thus to secure control. The party, however, aimed tins time at capturing a still larger number of seats, and the State Labour Government, at their behest, .introduced an amendment to the City Corporation) Act to provide for adult franchise for the city area, with a month's residence qualification y only, anil disfranchising! the thousands of ratepayers' wiiose businesses are in the city and who reside This Bill, under which a circus employee who was hero for a month would have a vote, but men like Sir Samuel Hordern would !ha.ve no vote at all, du|y passed the Assembly, but is certain to be rejected bv the Legislative Council this week; ana this will result in another demand by the party, either that tho Legislative Council be immediately "swamped" by the appointment! of sufficient of its nominees for this purpose—no fewer than 16 additional Labour representatives were put into the Upper House a few months ago—or, preferably, that Queensland's example be followed, and the Council abolished altogether. Labour has no reason to be proud of its rocord here on municipal politics. The _ aldermen are not paid for their services,] and rumours of "graft" have been rife, during the past thrpe year 3. During thoir regime tho indebtedness of tho city and the rates have both been heavily increased. .It is impossible to say with truth, however, that the much greater expenditure has purchased as much in useful municipal service or improvement as tho smaller sums of other years. In some respects, control of the services has been taken out of the hands of the responsible officers of the Council, and handed over to -unions bosses,. and it has actually been made an offence in cases of electric light installations, which the City Council controls over the whole metro- j politan area, to employ in such con-| nexion in any way any person who is not a financial member of the union,! the onus of discovering whether the! person so employed is a fully financial member being thrown upon the persou j employing him. ■ ■ | ' It is a' curious fact that not a single j ' Labour alderman is himself a ratepayer, all Jiving been elected on the lodger qualification, and, not having to pay the piper, tney Jiave been playing great vote-catching tunes at tlw ratepayers' expense. _ For instance, they hare abolished! •Saturday work throughout the municipal service, raised the wages above the award rates, and granted innumerable holiday and other concessions; and the army of 3400 employees of the Council—the majority of whom live within the city area, and many, at reduced rentals,- in the houses and flats that the City Coimoil' owns, having acquired a vast amount of property through , resumption—are' naturally very desirous that Labour rule shall continue. Yet Labour has demanded a quid fro <l uo for'-its "generosity," and from every employee levies have been made toward, their expenses, near-1 Iv £6OOO having been contributed in t"hiß way so far. Further concessions are promised .-the employees if Labour wins; and i? is being pointed- out by, the party that if the Reformers win some of- the extraordinary concessions they now enjoy mav he taken away. This, it cai be added, will assuredly; Happen. • , x Sine© the Labour Lord Mayors have! occupied the chair they have poclsefed the £ISOO entertainment allowance for themselves. The present Lord Mayor [ (Mr Lambert), in addition to the allowance named . receives £IOOO a. year as a member of the Federal Parliament (with a froo pass over all Australian railway?), is a paid member of various Board's (including the Board of Heahfh), and, till a few * weeks ago, was also secretary of the A.W.XJ. at a large salary. One person in the course of evidence iri" a bribery case in which a Labour alderman is ooncerned, remarked: "We are not in mnnioipsJ politics for the | good of . our health." - ... The prestige of the city nas undoubtedly b°en considerably lowered since Labour has been in control. The Reform, candidates include General Sir Charles Rosenthal, Sir Allen Tavlor, M.L.C.. Mr William Brooka, I M.L.C., Mr Lionel Courtenay (presi-. dent of the Local Government Association of New South Wales), and Lieut.Colonel Charlton. Mr R. D. Meagher (ex-Lord Mayor), who has broken away from the Labonr Party, is standing'a* an Independent. The Labour condidates include three who are members of the State Parliament; Messrs Doyle, Burke, and Buckley.