CAUCUS RULE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23033, 10 May 1938, Page 14

CAUCUS RULE

THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER'S DENUNCIATION CONTROL BY "MINORITY EVILS OF PRESENT SYSTEM Labour caucus rule in the City Council during the past three years was attacked last night by Miss Ellen Melville. a councillor of. long experience, at a meeting hold in the Leys Institute, -J?onsonbv. under the auspices of the Auckland Citizens and Ratepayers' Association. She declared that on many occasions it amounted to minority rule, and in any case was contrary to the terms of a councillor's declaration under the Municipal Corporations Act. "The non-Labour members of the council are really in a very humiliating position," said Miss Melville. "We were sent there by the citizens, and we have taken just as keen an interest in the city's affairs as members of the other Bection, but we are under no misapprehension as to our position. We are told by our Labour friends that we just don't count. Party Politics Brought In "As vou know, there are 14 Labour members, who. we understand, are all pledged members of the Parliamentary Labour Party. At the first meeting some comment was made in the council chamber about-party politics coming in. I as one of the oldest councillors, said that they had never counted with mo ' and that I felt it was quite wrong that national politics should be brought in A leading Labour member then said that he wanted no misunderstanding. He added: «We have got control. We are in the majority and we are going to talje full advantage of that fac„. "That is a very wrong position, continued Miss Melville. "We in the City Council do not make the laws; we only administer them. If we want to have the laws altered, we know what •to do. Partv politics have no place in local government. For my own part, 1 have never allowed them to influence my vote; I have voted both with nnd against-the Labour section, as 1 saw ht. "It is a humiliating position for your representatives to be told that t ley don't-count", that it does not matter what they say or do because they are in a minority. . Individual Views Stifled

"While'it is true that views of a section are being imposed upon us,' I would not object if they were the views of a majority,, but that.is not always 60. Prior to every council meeting the Labour members hold a caucus meeting. They meet in private and go through every Stem on the order paper. We understand that they have some hot arguments, for they are bv no means all of one mind, but the m l of the majority becomes the will ot all, and all are bound to abide by it. One need only do a simple sum in arithmetic to see that in this way our affairs may be controlled by eight out of 15 Labour members, that is, by a minority of the council. "We do not know what pressure, political or otherwise, may be brought to bear upon them —I dp not Bay that there is any improper pressure. We do not know how decisions are arrived at or what information is available to tne caucus", but we do know that they are arrived at in private, and not in council, where the whole of any matter could-be discussed. The Statutory Declaration

"As you know, I wish to see a change. I' have nothing against individual Labour members. They do good work on committees, but m council they must-vote as the majority wills, on pain of expulsion, and even against their own convictions. Some of them have told me so." The whole system was new to New Zealand experience, Miss Melville continued. On taking office every councillor was required by the Municipal Corporations Act to make and sign a declaration in the following words: I do hereby declare that I will faithfully and impartially, and according to the best of mv skill and judgment, execute the powers and authorities vested • in me." He did not declare that he would execute such powers in secret caucus or according to the skill and judgment of a secret body. It was clear that no one tied as the Labour councillors were tied could fulfil the terms of the declaration. Entire Credit Claimed The Labour Party asserted that in the past three years it had done everything, although in many matters there had been no difference between it and the remainder of the council. It gave Ho credit to the Mayor for his leadership, under which many things had been done. In some matters the whole of the ideas and initiative had been his, and in others he had exercised a most valuable restraining influence, without which things would not be so well as they were to-day. One of Labour's groundless claims was that it had been instrumental in restoring salary cuts to the council s staff. -Actually the former council had made a partial restoration, and its successor did not complete the process until 1936. Mr. J. L. Coakley, another nonLabour member, corroborated Miss Melville's statement of the position. He said that on a number of occasions, in his own experience, Labour members had expressed certain views in committee and then voted the other way in open council. Thus it was true to say that on these occasions they had not. voted according to their own judgment.

MOUNT EDEN CANDIDATES KATE REDUCTION PROMISED "If returned I will immediately give to the ratepayers such an alleviation of the general rate as finance will permit ajid •which is long overdue," said Mr. R. J. Mills, a candidate for the Mayoralty of Mount Eden, when addressing. a meeting arranged by the Mount Eden Ratepayers and Householders' Association. Mr. Mills also said a substantial reduction in water charges could be made, while he would abolish sanitation charges, which he had always resolutely opposed. He urged the return of the complete ticket of the association. Mr. J. J. Mulvihill, another of the association's candidates, said the association's ( financial policy was so sound that the' rival citizens' and ratepayers' association had completely adopted it, without, however, giving an undertaking to reduce the general rate. Mr. L. A.'Tozer and Mr. J. K. Johnston stressed the necessity for revising the water supply system to obviate recurring complaints concerning the service. and Mr. H. A. Massoy and Mr. P. P. Skelton commended to electors the policy of the association, which since its inception in 1931 had worked "unceasingly in the interests of the borobgh.. The of