LABOUR’S CAMPAIGN

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 181, 29 April 1941, Page 10

LABOUR’S CAMPAIGN

Question Of Holding Of

Elections

MR. McKEEN’S VIEWS

Addressing a meeting of the Wellington women’s branch of the New

Zealand Labour Party recently, Mr. R.

McKeon. M.P., Labour candidate for the Wellington mayoralty, challenged the claims of Citizens’ Ticket candidates regarding the city's finances. The city council, said Mr. McKeon, had budgeted for a deficit of £200(1 last year, but this had not eventuated, mainly because many of the works allowed for had not. been carried out or had been merely pared down. The claims of citizens’ candidates to have saved £1,000,000 for the city was astounding when it was remembered that the city’s income for the year was only £BOO,OOO. As for the repayment of loans, continued Mr. McKeen, one loan had been met out of sinking funds provided for the purpose and another of £250,000 was taken over by the Government. A definite attempt to fasten on to the Government the responsibility for the holding of the elections was being made by some of the citizens’ candidates. What the Government did do, said Mr. McKeen, was to circularize local authorities and appeal to them to express their wishes on this matter. The plain question put to them was whether they wanted the elections or did not want them. Their answer was that they wanted them to take place. The only exception was the harbour board. The voting on this question at the municipal conference was 64 to 2-5 in favour of holding the elections.