GRILLING QUESTIONS

Evening Star, Issue 22953, 10 May 1938, Page 1

GRILLING QUESTIONS

MR COX CROSS-EXAMINED MEETING AT RUSSELL STREET MANY MATTERS DISCUSSED The Russell Street Hall was filled to capacity last night, when addresses were given by the. Rev. E. T. Cox, an aspirant for mayoral honours, and Messrs R. Walls, J. E. M'Manus, and P. G. Connolly, candidates for the City Council. The crowd was a merry one, and many were the good-natured interjections, though some did have a sting in the tail. Mr T. B. Jenkins presided. THE PASSMORE PURCHASE. Mr Cox .commenced his remarks by referring to some of the accusations hurled against the Labour Party by its opponents and the newspapers. The first of these, he said, was in regard to the Passmore property. The speaker said that this was offered to the City Council by the owner without any intermediary, and no one received a “ rake-off.” That was the policy of the council, and the speaker said that he did not think that any one of the 13 members would do such a thing. He then went on to describe the events leading up to the decision to purchase. The member for the district, said the speaker, Dr _D. G. M'Millan, had originally said _ that about 500 houses were to be built in that area, and there must be some playing areas for the people to amuse themselves in. Mr Passmore offered the property to the council on October 20, 1937, for £6,500. It was considered by the Reserves Committee, which referred the matter back to the owner, asking what the lowest price would be, and Mr Passmore replied that £6,500 was the bedrock price. The Finance Committee then took the matter up, and decided that the property should be purchased, so that it came before the council in the usual way. “ Those opposed to the purchase had plenty of time to submit plans of other property,” said Mr Cox. Referring to the necessity for some additional recreational areas, he said that he had been told at the opening of the basketball season at Logan Park on Saturday that the number of players of that game alone had increased by 60 per cent, in the last five years. - That was in keeping with the European and British movement towards sport. “If the Passmore property is ! not turned into a golf course within the next year or two I’m a Dutchman,” he said. ”If some oL you had been here when your grandfathers were (cries of “ Wo were ”) laying out the town you would have protested against the leaving of the Town Belt.” (Voices: “Rot.”) Mr Cox: Do any of you know where the Passmore property is situated? A Voice: On the top of Flagstaff. Mr Cox; I thought so. They don’t even know where it is. They have not the energy to climb to the top of Flagstaff. (Laughter and groans.) I thought when I came to the hall that you were not all residents of this district—there were too many motor cars in the street, and I knew that no resident of Russell street and its surroundings would take out his car to come to the meeting.” The speaker then went on to say that the meeting had been packed for the purpose of breaking it up; but it would make ao difference when the votes were cast.

One questioner in the hall made repeated attempts to make the speaker understand ’ what he was speaking about, but the mayor was unable to do so. “ What about paying for this man to go to the pictures,” he remarked at last, amid laughter. He then said that he did not wish to keep his listeners long, but the more he was interrupted the longer he would be in finishing. “ Can’t you see I’m all dolled up,” he said, “ I’m going to the University ball.” (Cheers.) HOUSING AND-THE LAW. Mr Cox then went on to say that one of the silliest statements that had been made against the Labour Party was that if it was returned to power it would add £600,000 to the total indebtedness of the city. Continuing, he said that £200,000 had been added to the indebtedness for houses that would stand 100 years. (Cries of “ What?” “ Say that again.”) From housing the speaker was led into the realms of the law.

“ We have nothing whatever to do with the legal side of the question,” he remarked. “ All contracts and transfers are overlooked by the city solicitors, who are for the protection of the council. If any purchaser desires he can have his own solicitor as well.

“ I have made inquiries about the accusations made against a clerk in the Town Hall,” went on Mr Cox, “ and no one has ever said that clients should go to Cr Silverstone’s son. I can understand young Silverstone getting some business from it. Most of the purchasers have never had occasion to go to a solicitor before.” A voice from the back: It is an established fact that 99 per cent, of the people have had a solicitor. How do you know that the people have never had a solicitor before ?_ Mr Cox: I imagined it. (Laughter.) Yes; and it is a pretty good imagination, too. (Continued laughter.) Those people have never had any conveyancing to do. A Voice': How is it that Silverstone gets 50 per cent, of the conveyancing, while there are other legal firms in the city? Mr Cox: Well, he has a father who has made himself famous. .... The remainder of the remark was drowned in laughter and applause. He then went on to say that 45 applicants for houses had paid the minimum deposit of £25; six had paid £3O; four, £35; eight, £4O; one, £65; and 25, £SO. Only about 30 bad paid more than about £3O. The opportunity wps given them to pay a large deposit and so reduce the outgo, but they were the poorer members of the community. Those were the town clerk’s figures. He had given them to him that day, and he had kept them in his. trousers pocket until he had taken them out a few moments before.

A Voice: Let us see you pull a rabbit out of the other'pocket! The city was actually showing £loo,* 000 less indebtedness than it was a year ago, claimed the speaker, and if they; had another term they would pay off another £300,000 without the people knowing it had been done unless they were told.

, DUKE’S ROAD SCHEME. “We have also been accused of spending the council’s money outside the city,” went on Mr Cox. “ I noticed that the meeting of the Citizens’ Association at Maori Hill protested against the Duke’s road scheme, saying that the money could have been spent on footpaths, and Cr Shepherd was sitting on the platform and did not say a word.” The speaker then went on to say that he was a friend of Cr Shepherd’s, and Cr Shepherd was a friend of his apart from political matters. He continued that Cr Shepherd had made the suggestion in the first place, as it would save 12 minutes on the trip to the aerodrome. He then detailed the events leading up to the decision to undertake the work. The'City Council owned the airport, not the Aero Club, and air travel saved time, 'so that they should help to save time on the road to the airport.

Voices: That is helping the capitalists.

Mr Cox: That’s right, but we aro living in a capitalist system, and the time saved is well saved.

The speaker then went on to defend the use of money from the renewal fund, saying that it was spent to help unemployed. “Now, who plays golf on the St, Clair links? ” he asked. Voices: The capitalists. Mr Cox: Yes, they are the people who receive the value for their money.

An elderly questioner who had been trying to make himself understood still persisted in interjecting, and his question was taken up by another at th» other side of the hall. “ Are you two brothers?” asked Mr Cox. ■ ,

He then went on to defend tho diversion, or, as some put it, “ raids on the renewal fund. “ We were given £4 by the vGovernment provided we contributed 16s ■ 8d ourselves,” he declared. , “But who gave it to the Government? ” several listeners wanted- to know.' Mr Cox: We all did. Reference was made to the speaker's residence in Wanganui. ‘ ./ “ I have a gold watch that was given to me by the Savage Club in vVanganui,” he said, pulling it out. Voices: For leaving? “The Savage Club Is the highest type of social club in any community, and when it gives a past president a presentation such as that he must bo a respectable man.” ••••’ HOUSING. Referring to the origin of the housing scheme,. Mr Cox said that it did not start in the minds of tho Labour council. “Do hot run away with that he said. Voices: We won’t. After 1918, he went on, people had a dislike of war. This was felt in the European countries as well, and tho people at the head of the countries had considered it an invidious thing, iso they said that if ewryone had his own house they would fight to the last ditch for it. He then referred to the large housing plans carri6d out by the London County Council, and said that wnat had started as a defence urge developed into a world-wide plan. There had been no defence urge in New Zealand at tho time, he said! but when the Labour council took office Dunedin was the fii st city in the Dominion to take advantage of the money offered by the Government. “ The young men of the city are the ones we must look to for the future,” 1 he said. “We must find them homes so that they can marry and have families, and we must help them.” (Laughter.) QUESTION TIME.

When the time came for questions, one member of the audience asked Mr Cox if he said that there had been no intermediary in the Passmore transactions, as he understood it had been on a land agent’s books for £6,500. “ No one got a rake-off,” was the reply. “Mr Passmore got in touch with the council direct. My banking account is open for inspection so that you can see if there have been any, deposits of £25 or £SO made in it.” Another questioner asked Mr Cox to name the bank which he claimed had been victimising members of the Labour Party. If he was not willing to name the bank it could be taken as being Wr< ‘ Your togio is wrong/’ replied-Mr Cox. “The Prime Minister has been advised of the matter and I have gob a letter back.” Questioner: Do you know the bank?, Mr Cox: Yes. , . . Questoner: Well, what one is it? Mr Cox: I’m not going to do that and lay myself open to a libel action* I named the bank to the Prime Minister, and he can take any action. The mayor’s honorarium came in for comment, and the speaker was asked if he considered any increase reasonable and necessary, and if made would he accept it? . He replied that it was no business of the mayor’s, but of the public. The mayor left the room while his honorarium was under discussion.

Voices: That’s no answer. Mr Cox: Do you want a cheap mayor? If so, vote for him. I wilt take whatever is given to me, 5s or £SOO. (Laughter.) ' . Another questioner asked if, in the event of an increase being made, part of it would be given to the poor. “It’s my business what I do with it, sir, that’s my answer,” replied Mr Cox with some heat. “ I think it_ is very bad; form for anyone in this city to say anything about money when X gave up my profession to serve th« city.” Cries of “ Ooh! ” . ■ 1 Chairman: Any more, questionsF Voices: Let him go to the ball. The meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the speakers. As the audience was filing out, a voice called for three cheers for Mr Allen, which were given amidst laughter.