WRONG FOR EMPLOYEES OF CITY COUNCIL TO BE MEMBERS OF IT

Wanganui Chronicle, 10 November 1950, Page 8

WRONG FOR EMPLOYEES OF CITY COUNCIL TO BE MEMBERS OF IT

Speaking to the electors at Wanganui East, Mr Roy E. Jack said he considered that the Labour Party had shown an utter lack of a sense of responsibility in nominating as candidates for the City Council two employees of the council. “For all I know,” he said, “they may be good men and might be entirely suitable to give service on some body other than the City Council. But I think it is utterly wrong in principle to put up a candidate for a local body anyone who is employed by that same local body. “During the day,” said Mr Jack, “these men work under the control of senior officers of the council. But, if elected, they could come along to council meetings in the evening and ‘tick off’ their senior officers of the daytime. What sort of discipline, what sort of efficiency could we expect if we had men in a position to influence the advancement and rate of pay, even the engagement or dismissal, of their own senior officers? No man should be a judge of his own case; and no man should be both servant and master of the same local body—even if the labour Party wants it that way.”