STORM OVER QUORUM AT TIMARU MEETING

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31080, 8 June 1966, Page 7

STORM OVER QUORUM AT TIMARU MEETING

(From Our Own Reporter) TIMARU, June 7.

After being permitted to present his annual report at the first conference in the South Island of the New Zealand Federation of Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Associations at the West End hall, the president (Mr J. G. Woolf) withdrew from the meeting.

Mr Woolf opened the meeting by asking the South Island vice-president (Mr H. D. N. Rosanowski) to read the agenda. It was then moved from the floor that Mr J. S. Wilkins (Timaru) take the chair as business secretary. This lapsed for want of a seconder, but on a further motion, decided by secret ballot, Mr Woolf vacated the chair. Mr Woolf, who had threatened to resign and leave the meeting if he was out-voted, was allowed to present his report before leaving the chair. Mr Wilkins was then declared chairman. Report Presented • In his annual report, Mr Woolf said: “It is most unfortunate that when our constitution was registered, it specified that a quorum would be 30 voting members. We did not have this number at Wanganui, so that a remit passed there, that the number should be reduced to 20, was, in fact, invalid. It appears that any constitutional amendment before this conference cannot be put into effect until a meeting can be arranged with the requisite number.” Just before the luncheon adjournment the next day, Mr

Woolf, who was making his first appearance since his withdrawal the previous afternoon, was given leave to make a statement

He told the conference that he had withdrawn because he felt there was no alternative. It did not imply that he had resigned, or that his association (Wairoa) had withdrawn he added.

“I consider this meeting can only be classed as informal in view of the fact that there is no quorum by any set of rules.”

His statement was hotly denied by Mr Rosanowski, who said the findings were for an amended constitution, and that this was not done.

The chairman (Mr Wilkins) said he had no intention of allowing the matter to be debated any further and he left the chair.

The annual meeting later agreed to ask Mr Woolf to return all correspondence relating to federation matters, and be restricted from making statements in the name of the Federation. Delegate Leaves

The Otahuhu delegate (Mr T. Rodgers) left the conference on Saturday night, because he disagreeded that regional groups should be allowed to join the Federation. He said he felt that regional groups did not have subscribing ratepayers as members. The meeting was of the opinion that, as local bodies had found strength in regional combined groups, the Federation could not debar membership.