DID THEIR BEST

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 167, 11 April 1935, Page 8

DID THEIR BEST

Mayor and the City Councillors MANY DIFFICULTIES Further Local Body Election Speeches The Citizens’ Association election campaign was carried a stage further last night when 13 candidates for office addressed a meeting of about 50 at the Council Chambers, Karori. They were tlie Mayor of Wellington, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop; Crs. J. Burns, W. J. Gaudin, H. A. R. Huggins, M. M. F. Luckie, Mr. P. D. Hoskins and Mr. R. A. Wright. M.P., City Council candidates; Mr. R. H. Nimmo, Harbour Board candidate; and Mrs. J. K. Preston and Messrs. C. Meachen, J. C. Riddell and W. J. Mason, Hospital Board candidates. Mr. B. G. H. Burn presided and several questions were asked after the meeting. , Means of assisting unemployment as far as the building trade was concerned were discussed by the Mayor, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop. An incident had occurred during the day, said the Mayor, which brought this matter to his attention. He had been attending the opening of the new Prudential building, where the builder had been speaking of the craftsmen employed on it. In his speech the buHder had stated that he had built in many parts of the Empire, but in no part of the world had he found the work of craftsmen superior to what he had found in New Zealand. “We have got the talent here,” said the* Mayor, “and we have got to arrange to see that all these men with ah their ability'can get work.” This was not only for their own sakes but in order . that they might pass on their knowledge of craftsmanship to those learning trades. “What can we do?” asked the Mayor. Suggestions had been made concerning great municipal housing schemes, but he was not in favour of this. He thought that assistance could be provided if the reasonable subdivision of property were facilitated. The charges should be reduced on those who worked to bring about subdivision,. in order that they might spend money on increased building. The whole question could only be gone into by taking off some of these unnecessary charges which hampered owners of Idnd suitable for subdivision. “We have got a lot of property,” said the Mayor, “and we don’t want a lot. We want to gee it developed., Can’t we sell land on easy terms provided the erection of buildings can be proceeded with? I think we can.” The dangers of municipal housing and undue private speculation would, however, have to be avoided. “We have been faced with difficulties and we have done our best to meet them,” concluded Mr. Hislop. “We have a record behind us which we submit to you. And we are going to go forward with the same principles which have guided us during recent years." HOSPITAL PLANNING Need For Forethought Emphasised i ' r Asking for her return to the Hospital Board for the fourth time, Mrs. J. K. Preston said last night that when ®n occasions before the depression she had spoken of stringent preparations the board should take to ensure the health of citizens in the future, she bad 7 been called a pessimist. The board had met the depression unprepared and a well-planned policy wfts now most necessary. Wards full to overflowing were to be seen by any who went through the hospital at the present time, she continued. In previous years one of her greatest concerns had been for the condition of the children of the city, and she had spoken of the malnutrition awaiting them in the future.' Now one had only to look at those children to see their necessity. If one retarded the growth of a child in the early stdge • of his life one should know what the result would be. Mrs. Preston said that she had come across other lack of planning whereby people’s health should be assured. Maliy who had been in comfortable circumstances now had nothing to pay for sickness expenses. There should be some scheme to give unstinted medical attention whenever it was required, either an insurance or some State medical scheme. ' “I was twitted the other night that I did not uphold some economy measures in the hospital,” Mrs. Preston .said. “I will say now that I did not uphold them and still do not. There are two kinds of economies, and some that were made were the falsest economies that ever could be brought into any scheme. I feel it cannot be right to cut down staffs by keeping on one man at an ordinary wage and put-* ting off the other man to relief works.” The hospital -had been able to lower the rate ever so little, but had transferred the cost of the other man to the country. Where was the economy of that? Money was being spent to-day for those people who had been shut out. SERVICES TO HEALTH Objectives of Mr. C. Meachen Backed by other speakers who stressed the value of the experience in health matters he had already attained and the service he had been giving to the community, Mr. C. Meachen, candidate for the Hospital Board, gave an outline of his experience. It was mentioned that Mr. Meachen is the founder of the Wellington Blood Transfusion Society, whose work has greatly increased in the past few years, is Secretary of the St. John .Ambulance Association, and is prominent in the work of the Otaki Health Camp. He remarked that he felt that although he was probably one of the youngest of the candidates he could be of service to the community through the hospital and he was eager to learn through the practical work how he could increase that service. Concerning the Hospital Board work he wished to be done in the future, he suggested that the first step should be the effective bringing together of the various hospital boards in such a way as to work as one co-operative scheme. It was an important object, he said, to reduce the present number of hospi-

tai boards, co-ordinating the duties of the smaller ones with those of the larger ones. The present scheme of hospital management had rendered great pioneer service, but under modern conditions the disadvantages were overwhelming. There was duplication of officers and institutions, leading to extravagance, waste and confusion, in which ' local and personal considerations predominated, with the result that self-interest was cultivated aud public interest neglected. There was also a lack of uniformity and equality in the administrations of hospitals. KARORI’S NEEDS Tepid Baths Proposal Matters mainly of local interest were dealt with by Cr. J. Burns at. the Karori meeting last night. He commenced his address with a reference to the bld days at Karori. One of the most pleasant duties he bad helped to perform during his term of office on the Karori Borough Council had been to bring about its amalgamation with the city, and he was sure that from that day Karori had never looked back. As chairman of the works committee of the City Council there were several matters of local interest with which he had to deal. The principal one was the establishment of a _ public and children’s baths at A site had been selected in the school grounds, and work had been started under the unemployment schemes; £l2OO had been spent on the work up to the present, and as a result of the plans and estimates which had been prepared about £5OOO was required to complete the work. In reply to an interpector who said that this was too much, Mr. Burns said that it might seem to be too much, but the future needs of Karori warranted the expenditure. The sum bad been placed on the estimates for the current year, and it would be one of the first matters which would be considered next year. The work on the additional water supply was almost completed, and it had been established on the contract system and faithfully carried out. In the event of a breakdown in the Wainui service arrangements could be made for a supply from Karori.' The proposed tepid baths loan was then dealt with by Mr. Burns. It had been stated that this matter had been rushed, he said, but it had been, before the council for years. Inquiries made in other centres had shown that although such baths did not pay in their first few years they gradually became, more profitable. But the tepid baths should not be viewed from a monetary viewpoint. The scheme of providing tepid salt, water had been approved by doctors and headmasters, and was necessary because of the health of the children and the need for them to learn to swim. As far as the cost wps concerned a sum which had been laid away for some considerable time amounted to £14,000. ‘and the-Loans Board had approved of the flotation of a loan for £27,000. The city treasurer had stated that, this would m,e.an very little increase to rates. The extra taxation on a section valued at £5OO would amount to 1/2 a year.. • NON-POLITICAL BODY Citizens’ Association’s Status That the Citizens’ Association ticket was a strictly non-political one was stressed by Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P.. at the Karori election meeting last night. ‘‘We have been told that this is an antiLabour group,” said Mr. Wright, “but I say that these ladies and gentlemen have nothing to do with Labour or anti-Labour. It doesn’t matter at all.” The organisation was anti-political, not anti-Labour. No political group had the right to capture the City Council, the Hospital Board and the Harbour Board in the interest of any party. Parliament had nothing to do with these institutions. The candidates were prepared to be anti-political and would do it individually. When one section decided to form a group and run on political lines it was necessary to form another group f*o oppose them. The Citizens’ Association group had thus been formed, and would give Labour and every other group a fair chance. Mr. Wright confined most of the rest of his speech to the matter of improved tram access to Karori. The council, he said, had been in a very difficult position to induce the Government to make a shorter route. A special committee had considered evidence and had not yet come to a decision. An effort had been made to show members by ocular demonstration and experience the noiseless trams which would be constructed to run through Bowen Street. A great many people who had seen this tram saw no reason why it should jipt be allowed to run by Bowen Street. In referring to other candidates Mr. Wright assured electors that a very sound body of men and women were offering for election.

The Citizens’ Committee campaign will be continued on Monday evening, when meetings will be held at St. Thomas’s Hall, Newtown, and Fulford’s, Brooklyn. The Mayor, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, is to speak at both meetings.

“The real reason for tlie objections to a’ tramway .up Bowen Street, as part of the scheme for providing Karori with better access, is that it might disturb the somnolence of the House of Parliament,” Cr. 11. A. Huggins suggested.