LOAN FOR BUSES

Evening Star, Issue 23353, 24 August 1939, Page 8

LOAN FOR BUSES

APPLICATION FOR £6,500 OPPOSITION BY COUNCILLORS MAYOR'S ASSURANCE REGARDING POLL When the City Council met yessterday afternoon for the purpose of considering the motion—“ To apply to the Local Government. Loans Board for permission to raise the sum of £6,500 for the purpose of purchasing three motor omnibuses ” —the proceedings wore not altogether of the formal nature which usually marks such occasions. Three of the nine councillors present made it clear that they considered not only that the ratepayers who had made written protest to the council against the proposal to raise money for the purpose stated should be given the opportunity to discuss the matter with the Tramways Committee, but that a poll should be taken before the alterations in the transport proposed by that committee were put into operation. The councillors more immediately connected with the proposals —Crs H. L. Gibson, M. C. Hen-' derson, and W, B. Taverner — stated their complete willingness to confer with representatives of . tfrt Citizens’ Protest Committee, and the mayor (Mp A. H. Allen) pointed out to the meeting more than once that if and when the council took steps to have the Order in Council altered with a view to removing rails, a poll, if demanded, must be taken before any further operations could be carried out. The meeting was attended by the mayor (Mr A. 11. Allen) and Crs 11. Walls, -I. M'Crac, M. C. Henderson, K. J. Smith, D. C. Cameron, W. 15. Taverner, H. L. Gibson, P. G. Connolly, and W. .1. Borne.. The Town Clerk-read 10 letters from ratepayers setting out their objections to the raising of the loan for the purpose of purchasing buses. Cr Taverner formally moved the adoption of the resolution, and this was seconded by Cr Gibson.

OBJECTORS SHOULD BE HEARD. Cr Cameron-expressed Ins agreement with the objection voiced by Mr Carson and others, who, he said, had a right to be hoard before the council took any further- steps. He was not complaining about the purchase of the Duses, but considered that the objectors should be- given the opportunity of expressing their opinions before the matter was carried any further. He would oppose tiie motion on those * grounds. The Mayor pointed out that the petitioners had no statutory right to demand a poi! until the council had taken statutory steps to alter the system of transport sanctioned by the existing Order in Council Cr Smith asked whether an invitation had been extended to the protesting ratepayers t-<? confer with tiie committee. '

The Mayor sain ! e had inade that offer and hail arranged with the Op'-ho section to pieet (tic cuumittce The meeting,"however, had bceii' postponed

I and another date had not yet been I fixed. CR GIBSON COMPLAINS. Cr Gibson said the committee was quite prepared to me.et a 'deputation. Thl) speaker went on to say that the committee was faced with the possibility of three buses being condemned shortly, having outlived their usefulness, and these had to be replaced. Later, when any alteration in the systeni had been decided upon, the matter of obtaining further buses would bo considered. 'The committee's present proposals would, mean a saving of £3,110 per annum. Cr Gibson went on to say That he took strong exception to newspaper correspondents who questioned the ability and integrity of the members of the subcommittee, who were all experienced men, doing their best for the benefit of the city. If the unfair criticism which had been levelled against them, and particularly against himself, was a sample of the reward for those services then the sooner he got out of publio life the better. He believed, however, that there’ was some ulterior motive behind all the criticism. Cr M’Crae said he still thought the committee was on the right lines, but he felt that it would save a lot ol trouble if steps were taken to convince the protesting ratepayers that this was so before any definite move was made. The Mayor again explained the position regarding the taking of a poll, and added that the buses which were immediately required were quite independent of the now buses which might he obtained later. When the chassis Tor these had arrived it would enable the staff of men to bo kept fully occupied. CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM WELCOMED. Cr Henderson said that the more he heard on the question of buses ami trams the more firmly was he convinced that the committee was right. | Many of the statements made by objectors regarding the use of trams in other cities were simply not correct. Information supporting the committee’s action was constantly being received, and when the time came to place the whole facts before the objectors lie felt confident that every one of those who wore open to conviction (ami lie had no time for those who were not) would he satisfied that th» committee had, after all, acted wisely and well. If the objectors would only put forward some constructive alternative instead of. as sonic of them did, merely attempting to “ queer the pitch,” it would help matters considerably. He could assure the ratepayers that the members of the committee had acted without any personal consideration or bias, and he was convinced that this would become in-* creasingly apparent as more and more of the committee's aspect of the case was put before the ratepayers. COUNCIL ACTING HASTILY. Cr Connolly said lie intended to vote against the motion because he believed the council was acting too hastily in the matter. They had heard, he said, that the funds were required for the purchase of three buses to replace that number of worn-out vehicles. He had been under the imorcssion that the council had renewal funds for that purpose, and that the money to be raised by loan, plus a sum diverted from the renewal fund, >vas for Ibe purpo«o of .purchasing new buses altogether. lu regard to the conference between the objectors and the committee. the Citizen-' Protest Committee wished ii.s deputation Id ho representa-

tive of the whole city, and it had “ come as a bit of a bombshell ” when the Opoho section alone had been asked to attend. So far none of the deputation had met the tramways sub-com-mittee, and it would be only playing fair if these people were allowed to come’forward and state their case before any further steps wore taken by the council. Whatever happened afterwards, said Cr Connolly, this act would make for smoother working in the future.

Cr Walls opposed the motion for the reason that the citizens did not know exactly what the council intended to do. The general public believed that as soon as the bus services were established the tram lines would be lifted. The people should get a poll before that was done. The Mayor: They will get a poll. CR TAVERNER REPLIES. After His Worship had once more explained that no drastic action in regard to the taking up of rails was possible without a request for a poll being complied with, Cr Taverner, in replying to the speakers to the motion, said that he was not deeply concerned regarding the expression of appreciation or otherwise of his or the committee’s actions; he was quite satisfied to leave the question of competency and integrity to the wider judgment of the citizens as a whole. He considered (hat the report of the committee was a good report. Cr Taverner went on to point out that the alternative to the committee’s proposals was considerable capital expenditure, and be had not noticed any such proposal in the criticisms put forward by objectors. Approximately £200,000 would be required to bring the tramway service into the condition in which they would like to see it. None of the critics would, he thought, advocate that expenditure, and he felt sure that if the committee had made such a proposal it would have been turned down. The committee had taken what was really a middle course. He hoped that the mooting between the deputation and the Tramways Committee would take place, for he was confident that, if it did, the objectors would go away convinced that there was more in the committee’s proposals than had appeared on tho surface. The carrying of the motion would in no way prejudice a meeting between the parties. In conclusion, Cr Taverner said that the committee’s endeavour bad been to try and avoid ndiling to the burden already borne by the ratepayers, and lie pointed nut that in a neighbouring city a debit of £28,000 on the transport account had been charged to the general account and became a charge on the rates. He personally would he opposed to this course being taken here. On a division being taken tho motion was carried by seven votes to three, those voting against it being Crs Cameron, Walls, and Connollv.