Labour s Reply On Drainage Bd. Policy

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30560, 1 October 1964, Page 18

Labour s Reply On Drainage Bd. Policy

A claim by the Citizens’ Association that its record in control of the Drainage Board was one of unparalleled achievement was the height of audacity and effrontery, said the secretary of the Christchurch Labour Representation Committee (Mr N. G. Pickering) yesterday. Everyone was now aware of the grave difficulties facing the board because of the inept administration by the Citizens’ Association, he said. How could the association talk of “pride of achievement” and claim to be “efficient and economic” when there were claims pending against the board for more than £80,600 because the advice of its now retired chief

engineer was ignored and refused? he asked. How could it talk of “drive” when the board was called to a special meeting to discuss a letter from the engineering staff demanding an apology from a member because of his derogatory remarks about their efficiency? “In view of the bungling and mismanagement from the Citizens-controlled board, it speaks volumes for the staff that they have carried out their duties so willingly and well, and the Labour Party in control of the board would set up the machinery which would immediately improve the climate between board and staff,” Mr Pickering said.

He said . the association’s promise to give increased attention to eliminating stormwater flooding problems was probably written into the policy only because of the Labour Party’s pledge to make this one of its primary aims. The Citizens-controlled board could not claim to have been a success in this field. The Citizens’ Association made no mention of changing the present anomalous position of war representation, where some wards consisted of a few hundred voters and others had several thousand. The Labour Party was pledged to right this undemocratic situation. Home owners should note that the Citizens’ Association did not agree with Labour’s policy of having sewer connexions laid to property boundaries during main sewerage reticulation works.