ARGUMENT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1333, 10 January 1912, Page 5

ARGUMENT.

GO ON WITH THE CASE OR NOTi

DECISION 7 TO GO ON. Tho Acting-Mayor: Is it now the-wish of the council that Inspector Fuller be heard in defence to tho charges made and circulated against him!' Councillor Burber: Before you put tli.it I am going to usk; Aro we going to try this case? Councillor Fitzgerald: You can't. Councillor Barber: 1 take it from the statements made by Councillor Atkinson uiul Councillor Hindniursh that wo nre going to deal with this case. Is Hint a. fail' thine? It is quito fair to hoar ln(■pecior ): ullcr uuvko n statement to clear his character. Hut, hu continued, it would not Ire fair to come to any decision without hciirini; some evidence on tho other side. By all. means, let a statement bo made, but, if there was no evidence tendered, that would end the nintlcr. Tho- Acting-Mayor: I take it that \\a' aro to liwir evidence, and that we are to refrain from asking questions, because it would be unfair for us sitting here as jurors (o crdss-examino when there is only one side of the ■ ciso presented. Councillor Fitzgerald: You 'misapprehend the position. ■■ The 'Acting-Mayor, replied that ho did not misapprehend tlio positiou, and that ho bad the authority of tho Mayor for the stand which he had talccn. " •

CounoUlor Hindmarsh: Wo don't caro what his 'Worship the Mayor eaye. The AoHae-Mayor remarked that he attached some weight;to the- opinion of- tho Major as that o£ e lawyer, jff botli' sidee

■ffero to be heard,, it would bo fair to cross-examine, but not otherwise. Councillor Hindmarsh on Duty. Councilor.Hindmarsh: Wo. aTO a body of men charged with tho duty of locking nftor a great-undertaking. We, as a body 01 him, tire ..charged with the duty of working and operating the trams-properly, nnd ono' of is' siiroly. to control the men'. ■ Andoif we.find f'rictifm,existing, wo- Should inquireafter truth.,. . , It is becauso yoiiVlon't take a commbiib'enso view tliat wo get into this trouble. ; /I'll© Acting-Mayor"'maintained 'that ho did take a common-sense view,' though perhaps not the 1 legal viijw., Ho.did.not want: to say that councillors must not'ask quostions; but ho thoughfth&t fhey'bught not to cross-examine. / Councillor Fitzgerald supposed that every councillor wished to get to the bottom of this matter. -Now. that : the union had withdrawn, from thecase, the council should deal with it in committee, Kceing that it was only at tho union's Teqriest. that it had been taken iii open council. Tho proceedings woro an absolute ;disgrace. Jtwas tho plain duty of tho council, to go into eoniuiitteo to deal with, the case. . " Thq'Acting-Mayor: This matter, having boon started in public, ought to bo finished iu public. • End the Matter. Councillor Fletcher: I want to say that the whole business now is absolutely a' farce. ■ i i Councillor Shirtcliffo: No. Councillor Fletcher: I say it is. Ton nre going to try these charges Councillor Shirtcliffo: Wo aro not. We are going to hear what Inspector Fuller lias to-tell us. . "■■•■■■ ■' I Councillor Fletcher: Can you make jinything of theso charges (referring to the original. charges) ? I can't. There jirc other chaises,' but they have not been made public. 'Now that tho union lave.withdrawn, and hnyo; otfored no evidence, I have no objection to Inspector Fuller making a statement, and finishing the matter there. The Acting-Mayor: Wo aro'only going to hoar a statement. Councillor Fletcher: If you are going to hear a statement you will enlighten tu'q public, bec'auso they don't know anything about it. If Inspector Fuller jriakos a statement, that ought to finish the'matter so far as to-night is.concerned, iut it won't finish it'altogether, for the council has, still to. deal with it. Councillor M'Kcnzic maintained that the council ought not to go into committee, but" ought rather to give Fuller an opportunity, to vindicate his character publicly'. "He agreed with Councillor J'ietcher that this should .end tho matter.