BETWEEN TWO FIRES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 594, 24 August 1909, Page 6

BETWEEN TWO FIRES.

PETpNE'S, MUNICIPAL OFFICERS. '■' SINGULARi CONFIDENCE;MOTION. ~ ' Things- that have been simmering for some, official comfortof ithe; borough ongineer and town "clerk, came to a boil at the Petone Council meeting last evening; when the- : Mayor, Mr. J. W. M'Ewan, moved: "That this- council has: complete'and entire confidence in the-borough engineer .(Mr. ,W.. H.' Cook) arid the town clerk (Mr.-A-; Webster)."' .••/ ■". His-Worship, said-, that there-had: been a feeling that, the officers ■of the. council did < not'-possess its confidence, and it .had been' stated '.that six councillors came - to the' meeting, intending'to give effect to a certain determination but did'not .do.'so.. .This; sort was doing, considerable barm," and it was in order to set at rest any doubt as' to' the minds of the' council'on this matter that he -moved this' motion. Ho did not-believe, in the sword of Damocles being suspended over .tho heads.of the. officers, as some-masters, were in the habit of doing, holding,, that they would get better work' from them if this state'df "unce'rtairitv were dispelled. .After Mr. .Webster had been five months.! in harness, it became necessary to write ; off £212 14s. 4d. of the' rates' w'hich"' had. not v been collected. ' In 'the'"following ? ea r sum of £137 ss. 2d.,had tobe wiped off for the sanie cause. ', Thereafter the. sums- thus, written -off" amounted; to only a-oout £13 in: 1906, £23 in 1907,. £13 in 191)8; and. £26 (including fates entered dri the roll-for Government'; land); in"'19.09..-.- As to' the total costs of '."supervision, it- wasM-ery. low in.'comparison' with' : the costs. in' other boroughs., .It averaged only 1.879, 'or': only" £1 l/s. : 7d. on each'£loo'spent. -Generally; speaking', Mr.- Webster bad'proved himself valuable' town' clerk! The engineer (Mr:-. Cook').had also- proved his value.. Ho did. not. receive His '(the;, speaker's)', support wbenhe was ah applicant for''the position, > but he (the Mayor)': had learned to. value Ins..services more aM'.moro'-every year..,A. former council had increased his' salary, -re;garding'hiftr'.'as a, man .excellently fitted'-for. ™S. ; m ?-nagement of .the -gas : works, "and; among,'h'is other' qualifications; he' was a master, of'detail,; He always.'kept, his books' in.: gOod_ .order, which'-'could noti'-be'said. of the; engineers of■ some larger; town's, and liis department was .'right The cost', .of-'.th'e engineer's department:,was £4'45.-4d; ; percent;, '.which,' added to -tho ; ' town, clerk's ;£l_l7s. 7d.,''made a'.tbtalof a triuV bvifr.'-.'ff per Cent:. He defied anyone to point" to another town'- of' equal "sizo.arid 'equal public works: wliiclr could cheaper '-rate'.in these respects;' ."' :''.' ..'"i' ■ '-■~ .•'■.''.Councillor. Short, 'inVsecb'ndirig the/motion, pro'. fqrma„ : 'said','tha.t' he thought -.the rcs6hi- : tion ; very., unfortunate, ": and' one ■ .which placed ■ councillors' in; ; an 1 Coun-, c'Aldxs sin th'e . past; had. not, shown want of .confiderico -''in the officers,' otherwise -;the"y would-, not -be st'illoccupying'.ithoir offices. ■He ' 6pu)d iinderstahd,;. a, motion ofV;.waiit "of ;confidence, of'.confidence 'seemed' to him.t'o'be''dut of order.:'''. '. ;: •' ,'. .Councillor.: Colquhoun. agreed' with Councjllbr 'Short.. -' , ■'. ' ' '. ' '-. •-...' ' Councillor Piper', characterised tlie motion llUa'di'ised: /If.,He Ka'dr;beeni/'dnd of the, two. officers concerned, he would-have gone nnd interviewed .all ithe- ■liiiiliste'rsjof -the Gospel ,ih : : Petone,'-: and- asked, .'for.,:'their.:, uarn'est prayers',. :requesting them'-specially.' to ustv the Words—"and' 'deliver- US', from' 'our f^nfe'!'■;'K,was : .true,t-Jiat: some'councillors of:, Mr.' 'Wcbst'ojr, to"t;;ttei;*was;^pn'^\tHc'"'-'B>d«nfl' r tliat''''tli(j Übroii^h'-';*as':.'un'der's'ta'(l*d;-Wlii , cli:'.' , :'«'as 'a': totally,diffor^pt.thing..;.' •■.,:.,,..,,',''.. .'i.'■'.',.',".;'. ■ j^uiiciilor.'v.Sptitligato'.';.sait(','.'.it'.. Vaii 'qiiito true; that certain statements- cpiiiplajiiod of had..been made in the'district. It-was scandalous that a'section of cfluiicillors had met and, decided W discharge- the town clerk.' •Councillor List,considered,that the Mayor Had this,time got the bull by, 1 the;tail.-. What would be the' riatu'ralfresult' if ,tho' motion' were'lbstp .!,«''•;;" ,'.;;'■■:'-:■

'.-. The' Mayor declined,to say. ..--."■ '~ :■ "'''.■' ■ c urged .the. withdrawal of the.'.raotion.';'.;.':-.•; : .' .'. ...;{ .-, v. -..-- .'•:,C»un'cill6r; : ..:Hardiiig--'Bftid--that'' its withdrawal would itself; constitute ah expression ,of;;wanjb of;.confidence'i;,;y:: .' '.•:-''...■'. . :■ C.cfuh.cillor Jpi'ort asked -whether-the Mayor would-1 an.',amendment '.that tho motion, : beirig out' of.; order, -or ! unnecessary, should .nbt-.-sba put. ■ •;.•.-'■ ■■■■-.':. ..,-.., -..- < lie ■ Mayor said he had already ruled/ that." his motion was' in order. He deprecated the constant ■ pin-pricking'-' of •' the - officers'. He desired.nothing but;that the officers should, know that they possessed, the confidence of-the council, "but he knew how li^. n [y they felt 'these hostile statements .which .they, heard that should only be i made' at:' the Council Chamber. ■':,-: . ; -.•':; .-.; •■.''-■'■ : :.' • • '-. The. Mayor's' motion was. supported by Councillors vShort, ;-. Southgate, Voung; and,- the -Mayor.'; It'was opposed by C6uncillors Colquhoun, Piper, Jones,' Trueman,.;and,; List; ;■•'';;,-,'.;.;. :'... The .Mayor ifiis casting'; Vote 'for '. his motion, 'and = carried, expressing, however/, his regret that the result of the votmgshouJd Jave; beoriiwhat'it wis.' '•"'■"