LOCAL ELECTIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24894, 16 May 1944, Page 7

LOCAL ELECTIONS

CITY MAYORALTY

MR. MACKY'S CAMPAIGN

Charges that the present municipal regime was only makin £ an eleventhhour show of interest in the housing shortage, slum conditions, the welfare 0 f young workers, and other urgent social problems* were reiterated by Mr. t Victor Macky. independent candidate for the Auckland mayoralty, in an election address to nearly 200 people jn the Remuera Library Hall last night. "I have 110 axe to grind; no personal ambition to HI! the office, of Mayor," said Mr. Macky, in giving his reasons for coming forward as a candidate. "1 believe that the first- responsibility of at) v M'avor and council i.s to look after the welfare and happiness of the people. t feel that 1 have something definite to do in the interests of the city and of mr fellow men." 'The candidate said that no one had ."pushed him into standing." His service on the Hospital Board for the rast six years had brought before him facts in connection with the city that had staggered him, and convinced him that right-thinking citizens should come forward and do something to clean up the evils that existed. Government and. Housing "The newspaper, have given a gplurge of publicity to the interest •♦alieiT bv the present Mayor in social Trelfare," said Mr. Macky, "but this change of heart three weeks before the election has come too late." After quoting figures regarding the house shortage and the inadequacy of the" present rate of building, Mr. Macky said the Mayor's comment oil the position was that he had made representations to the Government without avail, but could get no answers and no information about the Government's policy. "In the Town Hall concert chamber Jlr Anderton stated that the present Mayor could not get the co-operation of the Government,'' he continued. •"What the city needs is a Mayor who trill get that co-operation. 1 will, because I am co-operative. I say that if +he Government will not answer my correspondence or do anything, then the public of Auckland will know about it. The situation is desperate. I do not take no for an answer, and I generally do what I set out to accomplish. We must get homes for the people in some form or other." Vote-splitting Aspect After speaking about ruinous slum houses and their bad effect on health, Mr. Macky said the Mayor admitted that all the council had done about housing was to get some empowering legislation and contribute £25,000 to the cost of proposed State flats'. However, the present Mayor and council could claim no credit for either measure, since both had been initiated by their predecessors. Mr. Macky claimed that his experience as a public accountant and chairman of the Hospital Board's Finance Committee for six years fully qualified him as a municipal administrator. He also claimed that he was the only nonparty Mayoral candidate, and the only one who could "keep party polities out of the Town Hall." Regarding votesplitting, he appealed to the electors to vote for what they felt to be right and in the city's best interests. If they did, they woufd find that any secondary contingency they might fear would not occur. The candidate was accorded a vote ot thanks and confidence, with applause and no dissentients.

NOT A CANDIDATE SIB, SAYEGH AND LABOUR TRIBUTE PAID TO SERVICE A notable defection from the list of Labour candidates at the approaching municipal elections is Mr. J. Sayegh, who has been closely associated with various Auckland local bodies over a long period. That he had lost favour in the eyes of the present leaders of the Labour Party in Auckland was indicated by Mr. Sayegh in speeches at the meetings of two local bodies yesterday. Air. Sayegh is at present a Labour member of the Auckland Harbour Board, the Auckland Hospital Board, the Auckland Transport Board and the Auckland Electric-Power Board. He ■was formerly a member of the City Council and the City and Suburban Drainage Board, and on three occasions has unsuccessfully contested the city Mayoralty. Tributes to Mr. Sayegh'si past services and regret that he was not standing at the coming elections were expressed by political opponents at the meetings of the Auckland Transport Board and the Auckland Electric-Power Board yesterday. "Mr. Sayegh has given us all quite a shock," said the chairman, Mr. W. H: Nagle, at the Transport Board. "1 wish to testify to the way in which he has fulfilled his duty in the past nine years." "It i 3 a shock to me, too, that I am not standing again," said Mr. Sayegh. "I was quite fit- and well when I submitted my name to the people who I thought would appreciate my work. I was told the answer was 'No.' " Special reference to Mr. Sayegh's work was made, in the report of the chairman, Mr. S. J. Harbutt, at the annual meeting of the Auckland Elec-tric-Power Board. The report said Mr. Sayegh had always shown sound judgment and a keen interest in the affairs of the board. Several speakers supported the chairman and regret was expressed that Mr. Sayegh had not stood independently., Mr. Sayegh said that while he was willing and desirous of offering his services again, the organisation which he had served unfortunately did not think he was a fit and proper person to represent the people. "1 do not think I could change my colours, at least at the present time," he added. "Of course, the rank and file of the organisation I have served are 'TOO per cent good citizens.' I desire to serve them again, but I could not get the opportunity." A suggestion that he might attempt to gain membership of certain local bodies at some time in the future was ttade by Mr. Sayegh.

MEMBERS RETIRING LOCAL BODY SERVICE A resolution placing on record the services of three members who are not peeking re-election at the coming elections was passed at a meeting of the Auckland Transport Board yesterday. |ae three retiring members are Messrs. <{.• A. C. Allum, J. S. Montgomerie and J • Sayegh. . Each had given long service in the interests of the board and the welfare the travelling public, said the chairman, Mr. \V, H. Nagle. Mr. Allum had had a very long experience of transput controi. He had been a member of th e Transport Board since its inception IJ "d before that was on the City Council *nen that body controlled the tramways. was chairman for the first S| x years and was now deputy-chair-man. Mr. Sayegh and Mr. Montgomerie e ro each on the board for nine years, jne former having been chairman for two years. Mr. Allum said he did not consider .hat one who aspired to the position of -tajor of the city should take part in e administration of other civic conterns. Tributes to the work of Mr. W. B. arlow. who has retired from the "Waijemata Klectric-Power Board after 15 » ears . service, were paid at yesterday s Wjting 0 f t ] lp l )o ard. L '"'butes to the services of two memof the O, JP Tree Hill Borough Messrs., C. L. Slyfield and J. tpo» ms ' 10 are n °t seeking re-election, , e paid at a meeting of the council tesi; night.