THE CIVIC LEAGUE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 97, 27 April 1933, Page 8

THE CIVIC LEAGUE

ITS BIRTH AND FUNCTION MAYOR’S EXPLANATION NO PARTY GOVERNMENT The birth uf the Wanganui Civic League was referred to by the Alayor, Mr. N. G. Armstrong, in his talk tu the electors at Wanganui East last night, and he gave the definite, assurance that the League had chosen men for their and was not tying them to the strings of a party. The League originated tvvu years ago, he said. It had gone to him aud asked him to stand for the Aiayuralty. It did not ask for his views, or for a pledge of any kind. He gave none. All he asked was that names of conn; cillors be submitted to him. The League supplied the names. It did not ask those men to pledge themselves to anything. It did not ask for their views. It wanted men for their allround ability. Air. Armstrong had never seen Air. Crowley tlieii. He knew Air. Halligan by sight. He know Alessrs. Dickie, Junes and Pleasants slightly. Alessrs. O ’Meara, Symes, Horsley and Hill he knew well.* Bui he did nut ask those men their views. He accepted them as men of independent mind, able to exercise judgment on all matters that came before them. There had been no party caucuses at the council table. The Alayor did not know how each man was going to vote until his hand went up. If the records of voting were looked up it would b<! found that the members of the council had been voting against each other in all sorts of ways. The same Civic League was iu existence to-day. It had asked him to stand and ho had consented. Again, he had asked for a list of names as councillors. He knew that the four chairmen of committees were standing as they had undertaken to do so if he did. Later, the League intimated that seven of their old nominees were standing- and four new names were submitted—Messrs. Falconer, Chisholm. Trott and Wilson. He had followed the same practice as last year. He had not asked these men th,?ir views’ or asked them to pledge themselves to anything. He wanted them to vote on each matter as it came up and vote according to their own judgment. Air. Armstrong pointed out also how well balanced the council had been. Air. Crowley was a fanner and was retired. Air. Halligan was retired also and it. was fortunate that the city had these two men to devote time to works aud to tramways. When a matter cropped up concerning the leasing of land at the water-works it had been handed to Air. Crowley. Specifications of the. new library went to Alessrs. Halligan and Jones, a plumber and a builder; leasing of reserves to Alessrs. Pleasants and O’Aleara, a valuer and a land agent; milk by-laws to Alessrs. Crowley and Dickie; loans and finance to Air. Hill, an accountant; and matters of a legal nature were looked into by the Alayor and Cr. Horsley. It had been, a well-balanced, capable council. There were four new men offering themselves. Air. Falconer had been a able councillor in the past; Alessrs. Trott and Wilson were businessmen and Air Chisholm a builder. Another aim of the League was to have representation of the city as widely spread as possible—Alessrs. Horsley and Wilson. Wanganui East Air Falconer, St. John ’s and the central portion, Mr. Hill, and Air. Trott, the centre; Air. O’Aleara, tho Keith Street block: Air. Pleasants, as a valuer, the whole city; Air. Chisholm, Gonville; Alessrs. Halligan and Crowley. Aramoho, and the Alayor, Castlcdiff. “It is not the League that counts, but tho men it puts up,” said tho Alayor. “I am entirely opposed to party or to politics. I do not object to a Labour man provided he is not tied to the party. What I do object to is a man who is going- to vote as somebody else wants him to.”