ANGRY WORDS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 908, 30 August 1910, Page 5

ANGRY WORDS.

—_*_ MAYOR AND ENGINEER. " I'LL GIVE THREE MONTHS' NOTICE." DISCUSSION BY LOWER HUTT COUNCIL. The Mayor of '-Jt,ower Hutt (Mr. E. P. Bunny) and the' Borough Engineer (Mr. H. HiV-Trott) came into open conflict nt the council meeting last night. Most of the councillors present joined in, and for a few minulee oxcitenient ran high, The rules of debate were forgotten, and there was some very plain speaking. Two applications from owners'whio de; sired their prbporties connected with the dr&inago system;;wcre..b<i!'ore the council, when the Mayor •,,asked the engineer whether , the engines' actuating 'pumps', which raise the sewage , from the intercepting chamber to the septic-tank, were working satisfactorily.!.-- , ~ .... . The engineer: They arc" in no "way unsatisfactory. . ■ The Mayor: T& that absolutely correct? The "engineer: Yes;- absolutely -correct.The. Mayor then "asked-whether" it was true that they were ouly lifting 1110 gallons per minute, whereas they ought to be lifting 150 gallons. ". ""'" '".-"■ The engineer said it was not so. The Mayor: Have you had from a responsible .officer..of .the council that the engines'are only ToisinglOO gallons instead of 150 ppr minute? The engineer: No; not a complaint; Tho Mayor: Well> a" statement; then? The engineer admitted that he had reoeived such a statement, but it did not agree with his own calculations. The engine's were more than performing their function. . ; One or two councillors demanded tho name of the officer quoted by the Mayor. Tlie engineer: Mr. 'Gardner, I presume. The Mayor intimated that Mi. 'J. Gardner, the drainage inspector, 'was tie officer referred, to. He then asked whether it was true that some of the connections wero made in water, and that water w.is running down them. The engineer: That is a matter within Gardner's duties.., .. ■' .■' . ' ...• The/Mayor: But you are responsible. After some further remarks, the Mayor said he would move that before any further connections were •■ authorised, the engineer., should report 'on 'the working of'the engines. Councillor Baldwin: -But yon don't •isiioin to take the enginecr's-wohl. What's the good of getting-a report from him, il you don't take his word? Tho Mayor: I am taking his word, The engineer: This matter has \ been thrust upon , me. The engines - are more than coping-with tho water that is passing through now. Councillor Hawthorne said he thought it was most unfair of the Mayor to quote tho opinion of an officer under tho engineer. .The affair had been sprung suddenly upon the engineer. It should have boen brought up in committee.: Were tho engines pumping all there was for them to pump?' : . , . . • ■ ' ;.' The engineer: They are, decidedly. The Mayor: It will be-found they arri not. ■' ■■ ... Councillor Baldwin: It is not fair tu take the opinion of a subordinate against a superior officer who is an expert. ' The Mayor: lam 6«>t hero.to do my duty to the ratepayers,- and I shall do it in my own way. Councillor Baldwin:.. We..are sent here to look after the ratepayers', interests, too.' ' ••• •- . Councillor Barlow, harking back to another phase of the subject, said that if there wore leaks in tho, drains ae put in Mr. Gardner was the man whose duty it was to see that each one as it went in was absolutely tight. , Councillor Hawthorne: I move that wo obtain an independent report. >' Councillor Mncaskill: I think tK'at would bo the best way. You (the Mayor) seem to have no confidence in tho engineer. The speaker agreed with Councillor Hawthorne's strictures on the Mayor's action. He detested kicking a man when ho was down. He" JiatTJlionght jnore of Mr. Gardner than that he would report an the Mayor had stated. Tho Mayor said Mr. Gardner did not report to hiiri. The fact was that he (the Mayor) had had his own suspi6iqris that the engines were not doing their work satisfactorily, and the engineer had not furnished any report. He therefore made inquiries, aud.-ilMyas the duty of, any official' to answer" such" inquiries. Ho wished to moke ! it clear that Mr. Gardner/did not volunteer, information- to him/ . :'■ '•••■. Counoillor Baldwin:, Should not 'Mr. Gardner have.gone to his superior officer and told him what he ' thought-; was wrong? . '"■/■'" The Mayor: He did so. . ~-•.-: The engineer produced a note , book, and read figures indicating the intermittent nnhiri of the work of the engines. Ho calculated -from-these" figures that they were actually, .working- five or six hours out of tEe 24. . ' ' Councillor, Hawthorne moved that Mr. Mestayer be asked to furnish a report on the engines, as to whether :■ they' were doing all that they should do. . ■ . Councillor Clero.said it.seemed.to him that as soon'as any-member of the council thought that anything was not right ho should at once g0.,t0, ,the engineer,' and ask .'him to make-a-reporf, , ■ and . they should hot go. at once to outside engineers. Their, own engineer, if he thought necessary, could..seek,the .advice of an outside engineer..'"- 1 "■'■'■'' '-'-. ' The engineer, at this point, jumped to his feet and exclaimed:—"Don't worry any more, Mr. Clero. I'll give three months' notice from - to-night. I wou.'t put up with any more of sticli contemptible behaviour." . , The Mayor: You may not have" tho chance. , •---— - : — -■--■-.•-• Councillor Gere proceeded, to. suggest that Councillor ' Hawthorne's ~,motion should be altered so'as to call for a joint report by Mr. UhTrott. .■ ," \- >y«i - . - - Councillor Hawthorne. consented to this course. : , The motion, as amended, was carried, and the council .proceeded to ■ other business, v . ,-.■ .