WANGANUI AFFAIRS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 111, 14 May 1941, Page 7

WANGANUI AFFAIRS

1 ‘‘LEADERSHIP LACKING" VIEW'S OF MR. H. C. VEITCH “It is time citizens of Wanganui appreciated where lack of leadership in civic affairs is taking them,” said Mr. H. C. Veitch, a candidate for the Power Board, speaking at Mr. E. B. Tustin’s meeting in the Gonville Town Flail last night. Mr. Veitch added that there was so much that was good in Wanganui that it was a pity the city’s reputation in other parts of the country u as not higher. Mr. Veitch said he had been asso elated with the writing of a history of Wanganui, and knew how much had been achieved by the citizens in the past. Purely through bad leadership in ciivc affairs, the glorious days seemed to be over. During the past, few years, Wanganui had forgotten that it had been represented by men of the calibre of Featherston, Fox. Bryce, and Ballance, names which had earned an eternal place in the history of New Zealand. With such men at the head of affairs in the town, Wanganui was respected in 'll! parts of New Zealand.

The only way in which the rot that had set in could be stopped was by again placing men of standing and ability at the h°ad of affairs. The Citizens’ Committee was offering the public such men at the approaching elections. He believed ho could claim i that never before in the history of local elections in Wanganui had such a representative group been offered. The candidates were men of varied and proved experience, drawn, not from one section of the community but from all. There were men who owned and controlled their own businesses, professional men, retired men, and employees. If the Citizens' candidates were elected, no person in Wanganui could fell that the group to which he belonged was not represented on the local bodies. Mr. Veitch referred to the poverty of talent on the Labour ticket. Even though a main plank in the platform of the Labour Party was “One man, one job,” the ticket was a mass of duplications. The candidate for the Mayoralty. Mr. Rogers, was also standing for three other bodies, in spite of being a member of the Fire Board, the Technical College Board of Governors, the Girls’ College Board of Governors, and the Patriotic Association. The lack of leadership from which Wanganui suffered was accounted for by the fact that one man could give only a fraction of his time to so many imnortant Jobs, each of which required full-time attention. In addition to having a finger in nearly every “local pie,” Mr. Rogers was a member of the Legislative Council, and had also to give his time to the running of the country. Mr. Veitch contended that no man could do his work efficiently when he was so loaded. Two of the Labour Party candidates were standing for three bodies, and four of them for two. Either the Labour Party was poor in talent—and the quality of its candidates showed that clearly -or else a small number of men were in control and wanted all of the jobs that were going. On the other hand the Citizens’ candidates included only two men who were standing for two bodies, and these were both retired men able to give their full time to the work. He recommended that the citizens of Wanganui vote solidly for the Citizens’ candidates, so that they might obtain a well-balanced and efficient

administration in all aspects of local affairs. In particular, he emphasised the perfect suitability of Mr. Tustin for the position of Mayor. His qualities of ability, experience and dignity, were exactly what was wanted to restore the position of Wanganui as a place of imnortance in New Zealand.