TWO-JOB MEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24336, 28 June 1940, Page 8

TWO-JOB MEN

PRIVATE AND PUBLIC HEATED DISCUSSION AT HARBOUR BOARD MR TYSON’S DEFINITE STAND At the conclusion of the ordinary business of the Otago Harbour. Board Ust night, when the question of going into committee to deal with other business was before the board. Mr J. H. Duncan said that he regretted that he had to bring up the matter of an attack made on him at the previous meeting of the board. This attack bed been made by a member, who had referred to members being absent from board meetings. It had been a The chairman (Mr J. B. Waters) said that he did not think this was a matlei tr be taken in open board. Mr Duncsn replied that the attack i him had been made in open board. Mr F. E. Tyson said he hoped that Mr Duncan would be permitted to bring up his complaint in open board It had come as a surprise to him, and he would have something to say himself about the matter. Mr A. Campbell also expressed the hope that the discussion would be m open board. He, too, had a complaint implicating Mr Tyson, to ventilate. , Mr R. Walls: May I leave, Mr Chairman?—(Laughter.) The chairman said that as the statement which was the cause of the complaint had been made in open board he must necessarily give those members who had been mentioned the righto reply in open board. Mr Duncan said that these attacks had been made on numerous occasions He explained that a man had to earn his living and he could not always be present at the board’s meetings The attendances shown in the annual report gave Mr Tyson as being present at 17 meetings and himself at 25. and when it came to the end of the current vear the position might be the same Mi Duncan referred to the fact that Mr Tyson had been elected as a representative of the shipping companies—with 12 votes. He (the speaker) represented the ratepayers, and he strongly resented Mr Tyson’s criticism. If he were to be criticised let the criticism .be made when he was at a board meeting. Mr Tyson: Mr Campbell has also a grievance to make in regard to my remarks. If he will make them now I can reply to both. » Mr Campbell said Mr Tyson had quite enough to reply to in the meantime. He would speak later. Mr TysOn said that he had certainly been absent from the board meetings, and that this was the measure of Mr Duncan’s intelligence. He had. however. secured leave of absence for six months while he had been relieving in Auckland. Taking the position all round, his record of attendances at meetings of the board would compare favourably with that of most members. When he had made the remark about lack of attendances he did not think he had mentioned Mr Duncan He had referred to Mr D. Copland, who had been elected as a representative of the Government It had sometimes been difficult to secure a quorum for their various meetings. He maintained that if a man were elected as a member of the board it was his duty to attend meetings. That was what he was elected for. There was another example in Mr Walls. He had been elected as a member of the Harbour Board the Hospital Board, and the City Council. The Harbour Board and the Hospital Board met on the same night, and so Mr Walls made an appearance for a few minutes at their meetings. If a man’s private affairs clashed with his public affairs, then he had to drop either one or the other. He had nothing for which to apologise and nothing to retract, Mr Copland said it was the first time he knew he had been mentioned in this business. He had had to go to Wellington, and if he had caused the board any inconvenience he would apologise. Mr Tyson: If private or other business interferes with attendance to the board’s business, then a man has no right to be a member of this board or any other body to which he has been elected. Mr A. Campbell,, who hki been a candidate for the chairmanship, congratulated Mr Waters on his election as chairman of the board. He explained that he war not a member of Parliament, but a member of the Upper House and that his time was not therefore called on to the same extent. He had a better record for attendances than had Mr T. son. He wished he was a member of Parliament as he would get £230 a year more. “Surely to God,” said Mr Campbell, “Mr Tyson knows the difference between the two jobs.” He, had been seven months as an M.L.C., and he had not done 20 hours in Parliament. He had come from Parliament on June 20, and had not returned till July 9. If he had had the honour of being elected chairman of the board—well, what did they have a deputy chairman for? While he had been absent the deputy could take his honorarium as chairman. He was just as entitled to have the job of chairman as anv member of the board. Let Mr Tyson meet ‘he Port Chalmers Watersidr Workers’ Union and they would tell him whether he had been entitled to stand or not. Mr W. Clarke said that he had been absent, from the meetings, but he had done good work for his country. If he were wanted for war work he intended to do it board meetings or not. His policy was his country first and other things could be attended to afterwards. Mr Tyson wanted to know why he had been subjected to all this vituperation from Mr Campbell. He had never made any secret while he had been on the board that he would never vote for a member of Parliament as chairman of the board. He was not able to distinguish the fine point raised by Mr Campbell as between an M.P. and

an M.L.C. H t had never made an attack on Mr Campbell. Mr Campbell (waving an extract from a newspaper): I can read as well as you can. Mr Tyson, to the chairman: Do you agree, Sir, that there was anything underhand in my attitude? The chairman maintained a discreet silence. Mr Campbell’s parting shot was that the people who had elected him as a member of the board were better qualified to do so than Mr Tyson. The chairman said that the matter had been quite sufficiently discussed, and the board went on to the next business.