LABOR PARTY

Evening Star, Issue 18670, 26 June 1924, Page 1

LABOR PARTY

" MUNICIPAL POLITICS.” Miss M. M‘Carthy presided at a meet• mg oi llio women’s branch, held in Jamie - son’s Buildings last evening, when Mr J. F/. MacMauus delivered an address on ' .Municipal Politics.’ Mr MacManus said that at a time of stabilisation of workers’ wages —wlien a policy of retrenchment lor the workers on account of depression was fait into operation by Labor’s encnnes —t he high officials had their salary increased. < h.ci Inspector King, in charge ol the iSoinncrn Reservoir, was granted a bonus of if 100 in addition lo his high salary what time the men working tlieic had their cost oi living bonus reduced, and the council was lined m the .Magistrate’s Court for depmm;g these workers ol travelling allowam.vs. He ennlrasted Ihe increases .panted lo die officials of the electrical department, with die wav that, depart incut deprived a. mol or driver of the overtime rales he, was cut it led 1 to, lie compared the recent increase ni wages and the motor allowance for Mr Thompson, sanitary inspector, wuai the treatment meted out in eases oi driven* of dnM earls. One, on claiming compensation lor an accident, was dismissed, 1.-cg.d

in ,ic, edings to recover compensation had been achieved. \\ Idle the gas officials had iheir icicio un i cased, an employee who demanded and secured compensation lor an acculciil, was given a week's notice immediately he resumed work. The increases granted lo the tramway officials wcie contrasted with the alleged victimisation of an employee be caiwe he insisted on an extra payment, o! he was ©Milled to .icccr an award of me .\ilm:"dam (ourl. Hie hcaiiLidd (]■: ,■ house-, icon wennty from e\icuicn enjoyed hy high-paid oflnaals wane contrasted with the peculiar method: adopted oi evicting an employee at Winnon, whoM 1 u dc, while acling as a school mistress, bud secured a. cottage, ft: nearly all these cases he hlitmcd the union officials for either apathy, disregard of laws trained to protect, their members, taking eases old. ol the Labor Department s hands, and failure to mean; protection by amendments ol laws, or. as in the case of ttio carter, obtaining Urdcis in Council to cover mviipaiiomil cases under (he ( ompeusat;ou Act.

Mr MacManus dealt with the modern method.-- ol pnnlvmg water hy eliminating water -Inline diseases, such as typhoid, uy.-enlcrv. etc., hy large reservoir;: free from !t-h or animal and vegetable, pollution. It they i'. ere lo avoid heavy expense <m a I resh-w.iter supply, the rented v was water mclers attached to each house, and payment h\ quantity consumed. He believed that hydrn-dedncily for Otago, if provided from tAntral Otago, would have Die advantage, of enabling waste water to he used for development of mining ami for irrigation purposes. He considered V.'aipori should supply Dunedin's full rcqiurements before attempts were made to Jink it up with outside schemas. He condemned the procrastinating policy of the council in dealing with the housing question, and its failure to deal with the lisii market. He urged the immediate co-ope-ivition of the council with (lie. Health and Agricultural Departments ;o rarry out tho proposals during Health vice!: for pure n.'ik. He was accorded a Neatly vole of lhaitl.s, and anangemenis wan’ made jor a further address on a future occasion.