Wives may go to conferences

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33155, 20 February 1973, Page 14

Wives may go to conferences

rhe Mayor (Mr N. G. Pickering) and councillors appointed by the Christchurch City Council to represent it at conferences in future will be able to take their wives, or in the case of women councillors their husbands, with them at council expense.

This was recommended by the finance committee last evening for the following conferences, South Island Local Bodies’ Association. New Zealand Traffic Institute. Muncipal Association, Electrical Supply land Institute of Park and Recreation Administration. Attendance at any othe; conference will require sep arate approval by the council "This is an imposition or the ratepavers." Cr H. L. Gar ret said. There were too mam conferences anyway. anc

some did not need to be held annually. One wondered if the ratepayer got his money out of a councillor’s attendance—what value would he get out of his wife’s attendance?

When the Mayor represented the city it was fair that the Mayoress should attend and be paid for. but otherwise it was unfair that ratepayers who in some cases had difficulty in meeting their rates should be called on to pay for wives, Cr N. F. Greenslade said. Cr D. R. Dowell said that most Citizens’ councillors were in business on their own account. On the Labour side* there were many who had to depend on wages. It was expected that delegates should be accompanied by their wives to conferences. Other local bodies pa’d for wives.