"THE WHITE CITY”

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1026, 17 July 1930, Page 8

"THE WHITE CITY”

WORKERS’ HOMES AND TEMPORARY LOANS

MR. J. R. LUNDON SPEAKS Strong criticism of the City Council’s attitude toward dwellers in the workers’ homes in Grey Lynn was voiced by Mr. J. R. Lundon at a wellattended public meeting at the Town Hall last evening. After criticising civic administration generally, Mr. Lundon had something to say about tho methods by which temporary loans were negotiated. Mr. W. IT. Murray presided.

Mr. Lundon opened liis address by an eulogy of Sir Joseph Ward, whom he claimed as a close personal friend Turning to civic matters, Mr. Lundon said the meeting had been convened at the request of the Workers’ Dwellings Ratepayers’ Association, which could get no satisfaction in connection with their City Council homes at Grey Lynn. He then referred to the fact that Mr. W. IT. Murray and himself were suppressed as much as possible at council meetings

“It is extremely distasteful to hear other councillors bellowing ‘No!’ when wo want to speak,” continued Mr. Lundon. “One thing at least atones for it. The public gallery is now full because those who come consider that it is worth coming. We try to do the job.” There was no element of hostility between himself and the Mayor or councillors, continued the speaker “Personally, 1 like George Baildon extremely well,” he declared, amid laughter. “However, I don’t like to see him at the apron strings of the town clerk. Mr. Baildon fits the position of Mayor very well, otherwise." INVESTIGATING POSITION

For a long time the speaker had been trying to investigate the. position of the owners of workers’ dwellings at Grey Lynn, “the White City of Auckland," as the speaker phrased it. As the result of complaints it had been necessary to make an exhaustive personal inquiry “An article in the municipal records of 1924 eulogised the builders, the houses, and everything connected with tlio scheme, including the workers, who had been ‘seduced into buying them.’ According to this report, the inhabitants of the White City were of the very' linest type and carefully chosen from the besL One of them had 11 children and for- that the City Council squeezed him into a five-roomed cottage.” (Loud laughter.) Actually, the houses were unfit for human habitation, Mr. Lundon claimed. Some of tho owners had spent from £250 to £3OO in trying to improve the places, which had been built for £777 each under the contract price. Though some people might argue that the purchasers of these dwellings should put up with their bargains, tho fact remained that £ 40,000 had been borrowed from the Stato Advances Office under the Municipal Corporations Act to build them. They were unfit to live in and were placed on what should never have been a residential site. The houses were “jerry-built.” (Loud laughter.) A Voice: You should change your name, Jerry. Mr. Lundon: It's one of the bestknown names in the colonies, anyway.

Those owners who had legitimate complaints had practically no chance of having their letters read at the meetings of the City Council, which would not tolerate any criticism of council property or methods.” said the speaker. GLOOMY PICTURE “For all tlio good we do at the council meetings we may as well not bo there at all,” added Air. London, who drew a gloomy picture of the manner in which business was rushed through. Though the speaker had had copies of complaints from dwellers in the workers’ houses, and was aware that the letters had been received, tlio Town Clerk, in reply to questions in tho council, had denied the receipt of such letters. Later, the speaker had actually seen the letters on the official files. In desperation the Grey Lynn inhabitants had formed an association' and had invited members of the City Council and local M.P.’s to attend meetings, in an endeavour to »-emedv their plight, but only one AT.P. had attended.

It was now the council’s intention to prosecute for the full payment of arrears of those unfortunates who had been compelled to give up their homes. The speaker then dealt with civic administration generally, criticising in particular the manner in which certain loans were negotiated.

Ono of the dangers of the City was temporary loans, continued the speaker, who said that the public thought that its rejection of a loan proposal would settle things. That was not the case. The council liad another way of getting money by removing it from fixed deposit and lending it to tho City—a practice that the speaker maintained was illegal. As a result of investigation, said Mr. Lundon, he became aware that certain sums of money which should have been on fixed deposit were being used for the affairs of the City. He had brought the question forward in the council but had been “squashed,” and, when he had put his information in writing, had been instructed to wait, three weeks for an answer. SENT TO INVESTIGATE

In the meantime he acquainted the Auditor-General with the position and a man had been sent to investigate, with the result that the speaker had received from the Auditor-General a letter stating that the position as outlined by the speaker had been found to be correct by the audit inspector. It had been disclosed that £455 of Remuera Library loan money *nd £345 of workers’ dwellings loan and also £1,300 of the Costley Trust Fund liad been paid into the district fund as temporary loans at call. These loans had been made without the authority of the law. and steps had been taken to have them banked to their respective accounts, the letter concluded. Air. Lundon read the letter from the platform.

“I claim that by ray success in that direction alone I have done something to keep faith with the public, and justify my position on the Council, where I endeavour to do my job,” said Mr. Lundon. His statement was greeted with enthusiastic applause. The speaker was accorded a vote of thanks at the conclusion of his address. A collection was taken up to defray expenses.