"DRIFTING INTO CHAOS"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20242, 30 April 1929, Page 13

"DRIFTING INTO CHAOS"

ATTACK O.N CITY. COUNCIL.

LACK OF LEADERSHIP ALLEGED.

MR. BLOODWORTH'S CRITICISM

Alleging lack of leadership on the part of the Mayor, Mr. G. Baildon, Mr. T. Bloodworth, Labour candidate for the city Mayoralty, renewed his attack on tho administration of tho retiring City Council in an address in St. Benedict's Hall last evening.

Mr. Bloodworth recalled that in his first address ho had said that tho present council had proved itself the most incapable, futile and disastrous council that had had charge of the city's affairs for many years. As ho expected, ho had been criticised for making the statement, but ho could have offered far more severe criticism, and still not have been guilty of extravagance or exaggeration.

He had attributed tho council's failure principally to tho lack of leadership displayed by the presont Mayor. In one of his speeches Mr. Baildon had said he was standing to clear his character, as certain statements had been made behind his back, and he wanted to refute them. Mr. Bloodworth said ho did not know what tho Mayor was referring to. He l'.ad made no statements concerning Mr. Baildon's character, but only concerning his ability, and those statements had been mado on tho public platform. Early Policy Not Fulfilled.

The latest circular issued on Mr. Baildon's behalf stated When he took office tho city had passed through the post-war boom period, a time of intensely rapid expansion throughout tho Dominion, and especially in Auckland. Inflation of values had mado largo sums available for extension of civic services, and a programme of costly work was canicd out."

Tho inferenco in tins was that the pievious administration had been extravagant, If it had been, Mr. Baildon must accept a share of tho blame, for ho had been deputy mayor for a part of tho tune, and also chairman of a responsible committee, but it did not appear that ho had raised his voice in protest or done otherwise than approve what was done or proposed. Nearly all the works for which Mr. Baildon now tried to take credit had been reforrcd to in a statement by the retiring Mayor in 1925. The statement also dotailed tho financial arrangements which had been made for carrying them out. "My criticism lias been, and now is, that important works which had been planned beforo Mr. Baildon became Mayor —important works urgently needed for the development of tho cilv, to improve business facilities —have not been proceeded with," continued Mr. Bloodworth. "Arrangements in connection with them have scarcely been advanced a' all and men who might have been profitably employed on those works have been unemployed, and in many cases have had to seek relief from the ratepayers through the Hospital Board." Original Charge Repeated. As a further instance of dilatonness on the part of the council Mr. Bloodworth cited an important report by tho Works Committee 111 July last, stating that the allocation for maintenance of streets by tar and bitumen scaling was uisuflicient and that unless adequate sums were set apart for systematic repairs a large percentage of the loan money expended on secondary streets would be wasted. The report was referred to the Finance Committee. Eight months later, at the end of March, the latter committee, of which the Mayor was chairman, recommended "that this matter be deferred for consideration with tho annual estimates." Yet tho Mayor now put forward as a plea for Ins reelection, "the need for vigilant control of finances and fur careful and economic administration." Mr. Bloodworth contended that this incident alone was sufficient to justify his original chargo that tho late council's administration had been incompetent, futilo and disastrous. "The public affairs ol this city aro fast drifting into a state of chaos which will entirely nullify the improvements in business which wo might have expected," concluded Mr. Bloodworth. The candidate received a unanimous vote of confidence.