W.E.A. GRANT

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 270, 13 August 1942, Page 6

W.E.A. GRANT

City Council Refuses Reconsideration UNION’S LETTER

"We deplore the serious lack of interest shown by the city council in the cultural development of its citizens,” says the New Zealand Amalgamated Engineering and Related Trades Industrial Union of Workers in a resolution suggesting that the Wellington City Council should reconsider its action in withholding its usual annual grant to the W.E.A. district council. A copy of the resolution was received by the city council last night. "The union submits that too much emphasis was placed on the fact that the W.E.A. supplied lecture material for one defaulters’ camp, and too little on the interests of citizens,” it stated. "Only by education can we Lope to develop good citizens, and the union is of the opinion that this aspect of the question has not been given due consideration by the city councillors. We therefore appeal to the city council again to consider the matter in its broader aspects and help to forward a movement which is destined to play a very important part in the future development of the Dominion.” “It is for the very reason that the organization might ‘play a very important part in the future development of the Dominion’ that we want to make sure that one of the loading peacemongers is removed from the position of paid secretary of the organization.” said the mayor. Mr. Hislop. "Till that is done we don’t want anything more to do with it."

In replv to Ur. Stevens, the mayor said he would bo glad to draft a letter in reply to the union and send a copy to the Press' in the hope that it would be published.