CIVIC LEAGUE AND LABOUR

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 178, 16 April 1923, Page 7

CIVIC LEAGUE AND LABOUR

AN INVITATION REJECTED: (To the Editor). Sir, —In connection with the coming municipal election, it has coma to our notice that a certain number of responsible people are disposed to .let sentiment take control bf their minds in regard to the matter of supporting candidates. They are disposed to select on the feeling that they must be fair to “Labour” however unfair Labour—that is Labour as a partymay be to them. The Civic League ift not opposed to Labour, but it is 1 opposed to any political party, whether Reform, Liberal or Labour, seeking to control the city’s . municipal affairs. In selecting our ticket we first of all wrote to all the sitting members of the City Council, the Harbour Board and the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. Tho league did not discriminate between those belonging to the Labour Party or those belonging to any other party. All were invited to submit their name as citizen candidates independent of all party consideration or control. Mrs. Snow, and Messrs. Fraser and Chapman wrote in reply declining our invitation, and intimating that they intended standing as party candidates In addition to this course of action the league publicly invited through the Press any citizens who were fro© to give their services to sunply their names, and a number of citizens offered These, it will bo recognised, were fair offers to Labour, and if Labour men or women are not on our ticket it is simply due to tho fact that such have shut themselves off from joining with any of their fellow citizens outside of the exclusive circle of their own party, and have said that they intend to stand as party candidates, we presume also for party purposes. Here then is the plain issue. Tho league members, who are workers just as much as those in the Labour Party, are of opinion that the intrusion of a general political party into, the field of municipal affairs is decidedly an £>vil. We are confident that if.either the political party led by Mr. Massey, or that led by Mr. Wilford were to enter the municipal lists and nominate party candidates there would be an outcry against such action. There i’ just the same objection to tho party Jed by Mr. Holland taking such action. The business of city management is not of a character to be handled on party lines. Think of the hospital board swayed by party feeling and divisions. This boat’d has to deal with the earn of (the sick, the aged, the maimed and tho 1 dying. Surely common humanity might indicate that sr.eb business’should bo dealt with free from u.U uartv considerations., Let ns have best citizens to -serve, no matter wlfaf'class they belong to. is what the league siivs. Against that the present Labour Party says, let us have none ‘but those of our own party. Tins partv asks for proportional representation, and at tho eaino time that it shall have all ths representation. Party control of city government has a very bad record. In New York it spelled Tamanyism and corruption. In Sydney it spelled confusion, waste and very questionable methods. Tho league is not opposing Labour. It is the political party that is opposing the broad basis o<“ citizenship and seeking to capture tho whole city for selfish party ends. The workers who. believe in civic unionism will join with the league in defending true labour against the encroachment of party in the field of city business where the advancement of 'undertakings is for the good of all and not for any party or class.—Wo a-ro. etc., EXECUTIVE, WELLINGTON CIVIC LEAGUE. .. Wellington, April 10, 1923.