MUNICIPAL METHODS.

Evening Star, Issue 18255, 20 April 1923, Page 3

MUNICIPAL METHODS.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, —The people of Dunedin are, as usual at election time, in a fog. Two years ago, after years of mismanagement, the people were hoodwinked into voting for the old councillors, by promises _of increased tramway facilities, housing schemed, improved water supply, and a fish market, and the mayor, in announcing his candidature, promised immediate financial reorganisation of the council (a reform thirty years overdue) ; but it was an election promise, and has suffered the usual fate of such —conveniently forgotten. The loyal Welfare League endorsed twelve members, the majority being from the retiring council, and by casting slurs on the (other candidates, and by making charges of disloyalty (since disproved) against the Labor candidates, succeeded in hoodwinking the public return its “ticket” (an employers 1 “ ticket ”), the result being improved tramway facilities (which the citizens are still to get), overcrowding (which must not be mentioned), houses still to get, improved water supply still to get, the fish market well strangled. Financial reorganisation, (lie city might get wjth a complete change of councillors, and providing that the'council’s servants are servants, and not dictators, as at present. An article greatly used in picnic fodder before the war was German sausage. Now it is Belgian roll; but it is still the same sausage. The loyal Welfare League is now the Citizens 1 League; but it is still the same body—an employers 1 association, the Dunedin branch of the infamous Welfare League, the Kn Kiux Klan of the New Zealand industrial and political worlds—and is now indorsing all the available present councillors, and to complete the number is putting up some more employers. You cannot expect a people’s government from an employers 1 association, especially so when that association is antagonistic to constructive criticism. The league has published in the Press that its main object is to keep Labor from being represented on the council; municipal government therefore a secondary consideration. Its platform is a mass of camouflaged piffle; take, for instance, the water clause, to urge the speedy completion of the Southern Reservoir--sixteen days 1 supply only. The water question is going to lie a pninlul one yet, especially if we get a repetition of the 1909 t0'1912 dry seasons; sixteen days' storage supply would only be a drop in the bucket. The rest of the plalfonn is on a par —election twaddle to hoodwink the public, into voting for the league's friends (and members),- the present councillors who promised a lot prior to last election, broke those promises, and arc now making more “ election promises. 11 As the main object of the misnamed Citizens 1 League is to keep Labor out, all Labor supporters, in self-defence, should plump for Labor candidates only.—■ I am, etc., IL V. Freeman, April 18.

TO THE EDITOR.. Sir, —I feel I must- convoy to you my thanks for enabling me (and no doubt thousands of other readers) to enjoy the heartiest laugh I have had for many a day. I refer to “Reform’s" letter under the heading of ‘Municipal Methods, 1 publish,ed in last night’s ‘Star. 1 Like most really humorous things, the humor was obviously not intended. The ludicrous picture your correspondent paints of the activities of our sanitary service men, combined with his quaint English phrasing, caused me great merriment; but when a litue further on “ Reform 11 misquotes the old Scotch proverb “ Mony meikles mak 1 a muckle 11 as ‘‘Many wee pickles make a muckle," my sides positively ached with laughter. I hope you will encourage “Reform” to continue his literary efforts, Such gems are worthy of ‘Punch. I —l am, ’ Mac lan Dhu. April 18.