POLITICAL PUBLICITY.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18219, 1 November 1924, Page 16

POLITICAL PUBLICITY.

SUMNER BOROUGH AND MR M'COMBS. THE COUNCIL'S PROTEST. In order that those ratepayers of Redcliffs who are not in too affluent circumstances might be in a position to obtain advances from the Sumner Borough Council to connect their premises with the drainage system, the Borough Council took action to obtain legislative authority to raise an additional loan, the intention being to have a clause inserted in the Washing-Up Bill giving the municipality the necessary authority to raise the money without submitting the proposal to a poll. The security for the loan is the Redcliffs sewerage special rating area. Mr W. V. Siddall, the Town Clerk, interviewed Mr J. MeCombs, M.P., the member for the district, on the subject, and the matter was entrusted to him. When a copy of the Washing-TJp Bill was received and perused it was found that it did not contain the clause relating to the Redcliffs drainage matter, and the Mayor (Mr W. 11. Nicholson) sent the following telegram to Mr MeCombs: —"No mention of Redcliffs loan in Canterbury clauses of Washing-Up Bill. Trust your efforts will be successful. Approximately 1500 wage-earning ratepayers are affected." The Mayor received the following reply from Mr MeCombs: —"Re Redcliffs supplementary loan to enable Council to make advances to ratepayers to meet cost of connecting with main sewer: your Council having failed to ask for authority from ratepayers, and having failed to proceed by way of local Bill, I suggested a clause in the' Washing-Up Bill, but as it was too late to get it in the main Bill it will appear in the Supplementary Order Paper. You can rest assured that Redcliffs ratepayers will not be neglected at this end." The whole Council, at its meeting on Thursday evening, was very indignant at the reply the Mayor had received from Mr MeCombs. and Cr. 11. W. liar- j ris moved: "That this Council protests ' to Mr MeCombs regarding the tele- i gram that was sent to the Mayor, and also published in the newspapers, concerning the Redcliffs loan. The statement created an erroneous impression and accused the Council of failing in its duty." Mr IT. C. Cooper seconded the motion. The Mayor said that it was a great shock to " him to see the telegram | worded in such a way. He could say | that the present Council had never , neglected its duty to the ratepayers. The telegram was an unwarranted piece of propaganda on the part of Mr MeCombs. The clause referred to was ■just to ask authority to raise the loan -rt-erc required. The money would not be needed for a considerable time. The power that the Council was asking for the Christchurch City Council had alreadv. The Mayor stressed the point that the Council had done all the work of the loan except for the formality. The motion was carried unanimously, and the Town Clerk was. instructed to prepare a, statement for publication. Members of the Council expressed regret that Mr MeCombs had thought it necessary to use the circumstances for political publicity purposes.