THE CITY COUNCIL EMPLOYEES.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14832, 25 November 1913, Page 7

THE CITY COUNCIL EMPLOYEES.

MR J. OTLEY OPTIMISTIC. NO DANGER TO HEALTH. Mr H. .7. Otley, chairman of the Sanitary Committee of the City Council, did nob appear to be at all perturbed at tho news that the City Council employees who are in the Drivers' Union had 'come out.'

"I deplore the fact, because I know that a very great number of the men are absolutely opposed to the move, but I do not think that thoir action will bother the City Council much, and it certainly will not endapger the health of the town as has been imagined.

"I should like the citizens to know that the Council will continue to burn the rubbish for them as in the past, but those citizens who have rubbish to be disposed of must either bring it to the destructor themselves, or hire a carrier to take it away. The refuse from the fish and fruit shops and, to a lesser extent, that from the butchers' shops, is the material that must cortainly be got rid of, but the ordinary rubbish could be buried or ptherwi-o disposed of by citizens themselves for a fortnight or so without any harm resulting. The outstanding fact that I wish to make plain to the public is that the Council is not 'in a hole.' We are assured by some of the Council employees that they intend to turn to as usual to-morrow morning in spite of the decision of the Union to which they were not parties. "Will the sanitary arrangements of those outside the sewer area be affected by the strike P" the reporter asked. "Not that I know of," replied Mr Otley. "The men who cart away the nightsoil are not Council, employees. They are private contractors and no decision of a union can affect them. "The public can be assured that the Council is not at its wits' end by any means and it is quite probable that all tho necessary arrangements can be made to tide over any trouble for a few months at any rate, "What about the men who run the destructor?"

"Well, so far we have not had any hint of their coming out, and we don't intend to meet trouble half-way. Presuming that the nightsoil contractors did decide to stop work for some obscure reason, the area in which their services are required is one in which most people have large gardens and no doubt the occupiers could fix matters up for as long as the strike is likely to last and a bit longer, too."

Those cab and taxi-drivers who own their own vehicles intend to stand outside the prevent movement, and continue their service to the public as heretofore.