FUTILE COUNCIL

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 650, 30 April 1929, Page 6

FUTILE COUNCIL

“CRITICISM WAS NOT EXTRAVAGANT” MR. BLOODWORTH’S ADDRESS “In my first address I said that the present council had proved itself the most incapable, futile and disastrous council for many years. As was to be expected I have been criticised in turn for that statement, but I could have made my criticism far more severe, and still not have been guilty of making extravagant or exaggerated statements.” With these words Mr. T. Bloodworth, Labour nominee for the Mayoralty of Auckland, backed up his previous criticism of civic administration in the city, speaking a. St. Benedict’s Hall, East Street, last evening. Councillor E. Phelan presided. “I attributed the council’s failure principally to the lack of the faculty of leadership displayed by the present Mayor,” said Mr. Bloodworth. In one of his speeches Mr. Baildon said he was standing to clear his character, as cc lain statements had been made behind his back and he wanted to refute them. “I do not know what he was referring to. I have made no statements concerning his character, and what I have said, about his ability has been said openly on the public platform.” In defence of his administration, Mr. Baildon had quoted figures showing the city’s growth, and had made reference to various works which had been carried on during the term he had occupied the chair. Almost without exception, those works had been arranged for and commenced before he became Mayor, said the candidate, and in those arrangements he was not entitled to much, if any more, credit than others who were members of the council at that time. PROVED TO THE HILT “The works which Mr. Baildon now tries to take credit for are almost all referred to in a statement given by the retiring Mayor in 1925, and the

| financial arrangements which had 1 been made are also set out in that j statement.” Referring to a report presented to j the council on July 26, 1925, by the j ( Works Committee regarding street ex- | | tension and repairs, which had been j ! referred to the Finance Committee for ] ! consideration, Mr. Bloodworth said j j that eight months later the Finance j j Committee had recommended that the j matter be deferred. “I submit,” he said, ‘‘that if there were no other evidence, my statement that the council is incompetent, futile and disastrous, j is proved to the hilt by the way the Finance Committee, of which j the Mayor is chairman, dealt with { the very serious warning it re- i ceived from its own Works Committee. “I submit that, due to Mr. Baildon’s lack of leadership, and his failure to grasp the very elementary aspect of economics and administration, the public affairs of this city are fast drifting into a state of chaos which will entirely nullify the improvements in business which we might have expected. “It has been urged in Mr. Baildon’s . favour that he is a good sport. That may be true, hut I suggest to you that this city cannot live on sport, and what this city wants at the head of its civic affairs is an able administrator, and that the present Mayor does not fill the bill in that respect,” The candidate said that there seemed to be no special ability needed for a Mayor to attend a race meeting and hand over a cup. “It’s all very nice, but after all its only a trimming.” The meeting accorded the candidate a unanimous vote of confidence.