League Wants Control Of Public Relations Office

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30092, 28 March 1963, Page 17

League Wants Control Of Public Relations Office

lhe Canterbury Progress League last evening decided that it would oppose any suggestion that the Canterbury Public Relations Office should be divorced from its control and placed under the control of any local body.

The finance committee of the league is to prepare material outlining the league’s past history and accomplishments and arguing why the league is the body best fitted to be in charge of the public relations office. The case will be put to a meeting of representatives of Canterbury local bodies to be called to discuss the financing and future of the public relations office. He was disturbed to read in a report of the City Council’s last meeting that there had been criticism that the Progress League “had been meddling in national politics," said the league president (Mr B. J. Drake). "That has never been this league's policy. We have no political axe to grind, and the league is a non-political body,” Mr Drake said. Mr A. R. Guthrey said that the suggestion at the council meeting that the public relations office was tainted with

political views had been challenged. “I am happy to say that all members of the City Council are wholeheartedly behind the public relations office and the work that it has done, and is doing.” he said.

“However, I must say that there have been suggestions from both sides of the table at the City Council that the public relations office should be taken over by a local body.” Mr Guthrey said. "In my opinion, that would be a retrograde step. The public relations office has something to do with local bodies and something to do with private enterprise. When private enterprise is considering coming to Canterbury, or having business in Canterbury, I think it generally likes to seek advice and confer with some body independent of local bodies. The public relations office must be in close touch with local bodies but it should be independent of them.”

Mr Guthrey said it had been suggested that the proposed regional authority, or metropolitan board of works, comprising the Transport Board, Regional Planning Authority and Drainage Board, would be a suitable body to control the public relations office.

“The idea is widespread and, personally, I think w-e should fight it. We should fight this idea by showing the public what a wonderful body the Progress League is,” he said. Mr H. H. Deans moved that the history of the league and the work it had accomplished be prepared and placed before the meeting of local bodies. Mr Drake said that, unfortunately, some of the work done by the league did not have as much publicity value as that done by the public relations office. That was not to say that the league’s work was not just as valuable. The league’s work was a continuing task. Mr Guthrey: I take it that this meeting is unanimous that •the public relations office should remain with the league.

Mr E. G. Beckett, the retiring public relations officer, said that the league had members from counties in North, Mid. and South Canterbury. On many occasions he could not have acted in matters in other counties and boroughs outside Christchurch had he been under the control of a local body. Mr P. M. McShane said the league dealt with a much wider area than any local body or any metropolitan board of works could or would do.