MISSTATEMENTS ALLEGED

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 123, 20 November 1931, Page 11

MISSTATEMENTS ALLEGED

CANDIDATES AND COUNCILLORS

Before the formal b.usinesS, .of■' the City Council was commenced last evening, Councillor W. Appletorij.on a point of order, referred to statements made by Mr. E. M'Keen, M.P.,: onthe election platform regarding alleged decisions of the Tramways Committee.and Councillor Apple ton's, attitude in regard to tho increasing of , the- threepenny long-distance', faro and the dismissal of employees. ..■■■•■ , . The. statements attributed .to him, said Councillor Appleton," were made, in committee, and were therefore' Hot. tho property of the public. But that was not all. It ,was not .what, he; had', said. He had objected to: the services^ being reduced' and ■, men .put off.- He' had also said trade was reviving,, and would revive, further towards the end of the year, that.the need to increase fares might not arise, ajidthat in. any case the whole question should be .reviewed before any action..was; taken.' Personally, .he was against. increasiftg. the threepenny fare, even If the' gene-' ral rate had to be increased, to; make . up the .deficit. . '•■'■■■■> ■■■ .'■.-,. : . ,'. The Mayor, Mr. •T, C. A. Hislop, said that the Tramways Committee had not come to ,any .decisions to raise,.fares or to dismiss a large number, of men. The only, decision arrived at ..was .that, each member should go into the whole matter with, a- view, to. getting, a. decision as to what steps .should bo, taken. Ho agreed.that the' statements; made and complained of-.were cut. of place. From his recollection the remarks made in-.committee-by. Councillor Appleton. were as stated by him: ".• ,'..'/. '."•

Mr. Ilislop said that in the report of the same speech _ references were made to the aUogpd dismissal of 300 men .iv consequence of the council's decision to i educe the city's rates by £16,000. j That statement was orrone.ous, for not one man, let aloue 300, had boon dismissed as a result of the reduction of the rates by £16,000, for the amoitnt .was made up of £10,000 in the lessened Jllospital Board levy, £1500 on the libraiics vote, and £4500 in"reduction"of the-strcetrlighting vote, at the expense of the Electricity Department. He was surprised that the speaker should have] made such statements, for as a cquncillor and a member of the Tiamways" Committee he should hiLvo been familiar with what had taken place.

. There was some further discussion of the action of members ~of ■. committees in divulging, matters.discussed in, com-, mittoc and not yet. before the council. and the public, and the matter then dropped. . ':.■..■.'■■.■■'■'. ".'.•:..■ ".,'•'•■ ■