CONFIDENCE IN CONTROLLER

Southland Times, Issue 24650, 23 January 1942, Page 6

CONFIDENCE IN CONTROLLER

NEW' RESOLUTION BY COUNCIL

MR MACALISTER TO CARRY ON

Complete confidence in Mr H. J. Macalister as Controller of the Invercargill Emergency Precautions Service organization was expressed by the Invercargill City Council at a special emergency meeting held at noon yesterday to consider his resignation. The council also unanimously decided to ask. Mr Macalister to reconsider his resignation.

Last evening Mr Macalister announced that he had decided to withdraw his resignation and carry on as Chief Controller. The full text of the council’s resolution was as follows: That this meeting affirms its utmost confidence in Mr H. J. Macalister, as controller of the E.P.S. organization, and his deputies; it regrets if the recent resolution of the council gave any impression to the contrary, and asks Mr Macalister to reconsider his resignation. Further, it is the wish of the council that a representative or representatives of the Finance Committee of the council be appointed to the executive of the E.P.S. CONTROLLERS’ MEETING

Earlier yesterday a meeting of controllers and deputy-corftrollers of the E.P.S. was held and a resolution adopted and later presented to the council by a deputation consisting of Messrs P. B. Witt (spokesman), R. R- Binney, A. Derbie and J. W. Hinchey. Cr A. Wachner, Deputy-Mayor presided at the council meeting and in addition to councillors and the members of the deputation, Mr W. M. C. Denham, M.P., was present. Mr Witt informed the council of the meeting of controllers and handed the following resolution to the Deputythis meeting of controllers and deputies of the Invercargill Emergency Precautions Service expresses surprise that the City Council should have passed the following resolution at its recent meeting: ‘That the Minister of National Service be advised that it is the opinion of this council that, as the cost of the Emergency Precautions Service must be met by ratepayers, too much control of the organization is vested in persons other than members of the City Council.’ The Chief Controller is associated with the central executive which comprises the Mayor (chairman), the town clerk, the inspector of police and two others, and the city engineer is the executive officer of the Works Committee. The present efficiency of the scheme is, to a large extent, the result of the action taken by Mr Macalister to co-ordinate the activities of the scheme as a whole and this meeting is strongly of the opinion that the resolution should be rescinded, and that Mr Macalister be asked to continue in his position as controller.” Cr G. B. Orbell asked if the members of the executive had taken the resolution as a direct slur on the executive. “It looks as if they think the council thought they were inefficient or were not carrying out their duties,” he said. Mr Witt replied that the general opinion was that the council was not satisfied with what was being done. Cr A. Scott: Can the executive inform us if Mr Macalister will continue -in office if we express confidence in him? Mr Witt said he thought he would.

COUNCIL DISCUSSION At that stage the deputation retired and the council discussed the matter. “Do you wish it . discussed in open council or in committee?” asked the Deputy-Mayor. Cr Orbell: We can wash it up in open council. . Cr J. Pickard agreed that it should be discussed in open council. “Let the public know our views on the matter,’ - he said. Cr F. A. Webb then moved the resolution referred to. Cr Orbell seconded it and remarked that the executive of the EJ?.S. had taken the matter the wrong way. He was the seconder of the first resolution, but he had no idea that the executive would consider it a slur. The council said that it had insufficient control in the organization, not that the executive was not conducting its work in a proper manner. He was anxious to see the council more diiectly represented so that reports of how the money was being spent could be given to tiie council from time to time. He was sorry that Mr Macaiister and his men had taken the matter the wrong way. Cr R. T. Parsons also expressed regret that a wrong construction had been taken out of the resolution. “We are responsible to the ratepayers for the spending of their money and we should have some direct representation on the executive,” he said. “I am still convinced, that the trenches are in the wrong place/ but I have nothing to say about the members of the E.P.3. *r what they are doing.” Cr W. Aitchison said he sincerely supported the motion and he hoped that Mr Macaiister would continue to carry on the good work he had been doing. CONTROLLER’S WORK PRAISED Cr Pickard praised the part Mr Macaiister had played in the organization. He spoke as one who had been associated with the scheme since its inception and said that Mr Macaiister had put in a j-'reat amount of time since taking over the office of Controller. It was a tremendous job, but he had brought about necessary co-ordination of all the branches of the service. “I can say that he has done almost a fulltime job and we have got a lot to thank him for,” he said. “I heartily support the motion and express my utmost confidence in his work and ability.” Cr A. W. Jones said he was concerned about the powers of the council. It looked as if they were being frittered away, he said. He thought the chairman of all the committees of the council should be on the executive. The council had to answer to the people. “We all have the greatest confidence in Mr Macaiister,” he added. The resolution was carried and it was decided to appoint Cr Webb to the executive committee. It was also decided to instruct the town clerk not to forward the first resolution of the council to the Minister of National Service. The deputation was then informed about the decisions of the council. Mr Binney asked if the council was going to rescind the resolution. It was pointed out that it was not in the power of the meeting to do so, but Cr Scott gave formal notice to move at the next ordinary meeting of the council that the resolution be rescinded. HISTORY OF E.P.S. A brief outline of the history of the Emergency Precautions Service organization in Invercargill shows that in 1938 the Minister of Internal Affairs submitted a draft scheme to all mayors and asked them to take steps to establish an emergency precautions organization. In April 1939 the Mayor (now Lieutenant J. R. Hanan) convened a meeting to set up a central committee to appoint an executive and controllers of the various branches of the organization, and those invited included mem*

bers of the council. The Mayor was appointed chairman of the organization, which office is still held by the Mayor, and the town clerk was appointed honorary secretary. The following councillors were included in the large central committee appointed: Councillors L. A. Blackmore, G. C. Broughton, A. Dix, J. R. Martin, E. J. McLauchlan, R. T. Parsons and W. J. Thomas. The meeting realized that the central committee would be unwieldy, so it appointed a small executive which at the present time consists of the Mayor, the inspector of police, Mr H. J. Macaiister, Mr D. W. Stalker and the town clerk. After considerable preliminary work, the controllers had their parts of the organization functioning, but the difficulty was to find a man who had the time to co-ordinate the whole. Ultimately Mr Macaiister agreed to accept the position of chief controller, in June 1941. Upon the outbreak of war with Japan, a conference of the mayors of the main provincial centres was convened by the Government in Wellington and the Mayor of Invercargill, being unable to go, arranged with Mr Macaiister to attend. On his return, a meeting was held of controllers and deputies with the Mayor in the chair and, members of the council having been invited to attend the meeting, several were present. Mr Macaiister asked councillors to release the city engineer and his staff from all corporation work other than that of the most essential nature while the E.P.S. work was in progress, and he said that although economy where possible would be effected, expense must be a secondary consideration in the crisis. He understood that the money was to be found by the local body. The council had, when compiling its estimates, made certain monetary provision to meet the cost of the Emergency Precautions work and equipment, and at a meeting of the council on December 13, 1941, the town clerk said that should there be an indication of the amount being exceeded, the matter would be reported so that arrangements could be made.