KARORI COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1375, 28 February 1912, Page 5

KARORI COUNCIL.

RATHER LIVELY EVENING,

'At tho meeting of the Borough Comic!! at Kurori last evening, the Mayor (Mr. C. Cathie) was in the chair. Tho - following councillors were also present: W. <i, Bradnock, .1. A. Frost, A. Hamilton, V.. .1. Ktandon, .1. T. Horn, \Y. 11. Niiuino, M. Anderson, and li. 11. Burn. Various matters of local interest wera dealt with, these including matters connected with llio running of the trams and the drainage and water works. In regard to the latter a letter was rear! (and, luloptod) from the Town Clerk, Wellington, but, as the council did not consider that he had quite grasped the mutter, they decided to write further' on Hie subject. It appeared that a special Bill would be necessary, ami that, as ,soon as the necessary arrangements had. bent made with the Town Clerk, the cmmcil'M M)lic.itor should be asked to droit a Hill to go before Parliament. _ -Thy rotilino business of (lie evening being relUed, tho Mayor, in ;i quiet voice, proposed that the council should now deal ivilh a motion which he understood thtit Councillor. Horn wished to bring forwai.vl, Thereupon Councillor Horn arose and read his motion, which was as follows,:—

That this council expresses its gravo disapproval and repudiation of tho unconstitutional uctiou of his Worship tho Mayor and Councillors Anderson, Bradnock, nud Burn in Unit, without asking for or obtaining any authority from this council, they did on Wednesday, February 21, 1912, use. their official position of Mayor and councillors to at/t us a deputation to the Acting-Mayor of tho city of Wellington, having, os its avowed object, tho counteracting of tho request of an official committee- duly Authorised by this comic'i. .li'irrthcr, that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to tho Wellington Oily Tramways Committee.

Councillor Horn went on to say (hat! he considered that the Mayor had taken upo.i hiiasvlf ;, power that he had no right to njsumo when he went to see Ilia Acting-Mayor with a counter-deputation to the. tine authorised by the council. Searelii'ng for a parallel case, Councillor Horn, drew attention to the fact that, recently, Lord Haldane had gone to Gcrmajxy upon international business, as llio representative of the majority in (lie British Parliament. How would ho have txxn treated if he had gone us the representative of the minority. l ' Would ha not have been received with ridicule by (l'erinauv? 'Yes this was what -Air. Cathie had done. He considered that , the Mayor's action was a breach of constitutional procedure, and it was on that ground that he hud attacked him. <Ai for tho other three members of the coun-ter-deputation, ho had little or nothing to say, except that Councillor Anderson win "ancient history," and Councillor Brndlioek would have done better if, following liis usual course, he had remained silent. Councillor Niuuuo seconded (ho motion, and said that he also was of the opinion that the Mayor had exceeded his responsibilities. That the counter-deputation liad discounted their scheme (o get information from- tho City Council as to the cheapest and shortest tram route, and ho thought that it would have been better and wiser had the Mayor waited for an official report from tho authorised committee. Councillor Hamilton agreed that tho flavor had exceeded his duty, and had

mado the official deputation look ridiculous; that they had not committed tho rateiiavors to anything, buthad merely inquired' theeost of the Kelburno (ram route. Growing a little heated, he said to tin Mayor: "How can you expect the council to look with respect upon the chair whon you override, in rough-shod way, a deputation which we have set up." 'i'ho Mayor then asked if anyone els»

wished to speak in favour of the motion, and called upon Councillors. Standen anil Frost to speak. But tho former was not ready, and the latter intimated that he would speak later. A discussion as to procedure took up some further time. Councillor Brndnock next got. up, and accused the-'majority of endeavouring to "play a giuiio of draughts with the rest of tho council." He wanted to know why no dissenting voter had been included in the deputation, Further, he licensed tho deputation of only ascertaining llio cost of llio • Kelburno route and not of Ilia eheauest and shortest route. He would like "to know if there ,was anything bohind this desire for the Kelburno route.

After Councillor Bradnoek resumed his so-.it councillors indulged in various and heated personal remarks unlit Councillor Anderson rose and supported Councillor Bradnoek. lie also attacked the dcpula : Hon on (he ground that they did not fulfil their duties concerning themselves only with (he Kell.mmo route. .Ho stated that (ho majority of the ratepayers wero against this route. Councillor Frost having expressed his regret at supporting the. motion, asked what authority there was for the last speaker's statement that tho majority o{ the ratepayers were against tho Kolburun route. This could only ho ascertained hy n, poll which, personally, ho would liko to see, although tho other sido apparently would not. Councillor Burn congratulated Council-) lor Horn upon tho organisation of hij "party," who had spent u week (including tho Sabbath) in ' marshalling Ihoir forces. He vehemently- accused the deputation of not parrying out their dudes, and defended the 'counter-deputation, whom, he staled, did not go officially, but as ratepayers. -As ratepayers, they had a perfect right to do so. He himself did not caro ono iota for their voloof censure—ho could snap his fingers at it. Councillor Slanden stnmorled llio motion, and condemned the Mayor's action in strong words. He ended up saying: ''Though' we are pledged to the holburuo roulo wo art' not married to it." Referring to the councillors who had supported tho Mayor, ho seconded Councillor Horn's opinion, and added that he, too, thought that it would have been heller had! Councillor Bradnock remained silent. ".Might (all; 100 much for you by and by." rospondrd Ihe councillor alluded to. Again the council indulged in personal "hits" until silenced by (ho rising of Mr. Cathie, the Mayur. The Mayor said (in reply to (he .mover and supporters of the motion) that (hoy had a misconception of his duties «» Mayor. He was nut a servant of llio councillors, hut a representative of th« ratepayers. He had made it clear, when asked'to head Ihe deputation, (hat, n». ■lio himself was not of tho same opinion, he could not lead (hem. He had also slated that lie might have fo lead a counter-deputation. He firmly believed that Ihe majority of the ratepayers wero against the KYlmirnc route. However. Ihe M moral election was soon due, and' it was his intention lo nfl'cr himself for re-election, when ho would make the' Irani routes a plank in his platform, and, if one tf the other councillors would oppose him on llio .simo ground, lie was prepared lo slam! or fall by tho ratepayers' decision. To save further discussion, he staled that he was of opinion; that the deputation had exceeded their rights in saying that, if Northland would) not come, into (he scheme, ICarori alono would be responsible. He further slated' that llio deputation was to inquire into (lie cheapest and shortest route, and nothing else. He had told the ActingMayor Hint his deputation was in a minority in tho council, but (hat hn believed that it was not tho wish of tho. mnjoritv of the ratepayers- that the Kelburno 'route should stand. Whether (ho counter-deputation • was ex oflicio or not, ho did not consider an important matter, and'as for the vote of censuri he, too, would snap his fingers at it. Councillor Horn replied in a few words, and was for awaiting the ratepayers decision although he thought it should liavo been taken before the deputation, not afterwards. The motion was thon put lo llio \o,ie, and carried by six to four.