LABOUR POLICY ATTACKED

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22389, 30 April 1938, Page 15

LABOUR POLICY ATTACKED

SPEECHES BY CITIZENS' CANDIDATES

CAMPAIGN FOR COUNCIL AND HOSPITAL BOARD

Two points of the Labour Party's policy for civic administration were criticised by Mr M. E. Lyons, speaking last night at the opening of the Citizens' Association's campaign. Mr Lyons, who is seeking re-election to the City Council, was one of four speakers who followed the association's candidate for the- Mayoralty— Dr. John Guthrie. Mr Lyons criticised the statement made" by Mr R. M. Macfarlane, the Labour candidate for the Mayoralty, that the Labour "ticket" should be returned so that the work of the Government could be assisted. Mr Lyons said he could not understand the reason for Mr Macfarlane's statement. There was no need to mix the affairs of the city with those of the Government. Mr Lyons also attacked the Labour Party's proposal to raise a loan of £175,000 to complete the sealing'of the city streets. It was much better, he considered, to continue the present system of paying for sealing out of the general rate. Practically all the sealing had been done out of rates, with no liability for interest and sinking fund. A loan of £225,000 had been raised since, but he hoped there would never be another. Financial Control The financial administration of the council was discussed by Mr E. H. Andrews, who is seeking re-election as a councillor. The council was po* sibly one of the biggest businesses in! Christchurch, said Mr Andrews, for it had an annual turnover of about £1,000,000. That made the control of expenditure a very onerous responsibility. At the last election the association's candidates said they would try to reduce the general rate by 10 per cent. That had proved impossible. Wages and prices had risen and a revaluation of the city had brought a decrease of values. In spite of that, there had been only a small increase in the general rate. There had, however, been a very marked reduction in the special rate for the city, which in three years had fallen from £714,442 to £687,269. The association's candidates intended to keep the rates as low as possible, but they would not promise a reduction. To do that would be to retard the progress of the city.

Hospital Board Affairs

Sir Hugh Acland, who is standing for the City Council and the North Canterbury Hospital Board, confined his remarks entirely to Hospital Board affairs. After praising the work done for the board by two retiring members—Mr H. E. Otley (chairman), and the Hon. J. K. Archer, M.L.C.—Sir Hugh Acland spoke of the claims of the Citizens' Association's candidates for the board. There could be no better candidates, he said. Sir Hugh Acland went on to describe the functions of the board and to indicate the wide scope of its work. Much had to be done and there would be hard work for those who were elected, but the association's nine candidates could give great service to the community if they were elected members of the board.

A very heavy responsibility was carried by members of the Hospital Board, said Mrs W. Mackay, who is seeking re-election to the board. It had to be remembered that the annual cost of all the board's activities was about £220,000, and of this about £36.000 was spent for the benevolent department and for the homes for the aged at Woolston and Ashburton. 'On an average there were 410 patients in hospital, but this was too many for the size of the institution. At most, in her opinion, there should not be more than 360 patients. It was hoped that the building of an auxiliary hospital would soon be begun. Sometimes one heard complaints about the outpatients' department. But the pressure en this department was indicated by the fact that there were 46,000 attendances annually at this department. The board was anxious to bring about an extension to this department.