BY WHAT RIGHT?

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1418, 19 April 1912, Page 6

BY WHAT RIGHT?

CITY EMPLOYEE DISRATED. COUNCILLOR FLETCHER IN PROTEST. AN INQUIRY TO BE HELD. A discussion which at times assumed nn angry tcno took place at the meeting of the City Council lost evening over the disrating of a city employee by the Superintendent of Reserves. Mr. Glen occupied a seat in the gallery while (ho discussion was in progress. The matter was raised by Councillor Fletcher, who moved that an inquiry ho held into the general conduct and control of tho reserves, most particularly in regard to the treatment of soino of the men. Perhaps it would lje news to some members, he said, that certain things were done presumably on resolution of the council which had never como before the council at all. And he read a letter addressed to tho foreman of the Botanical Gardens, ostensibly on tho instruction of the council, advising him that ho must vacate his residence in the gardens in a day or two, and tho question had not como before tho council. Surely it was wrontf that a servant who had been in tho service of the council for ten years in charge of the Botanical Gardens should bo disrated and ejected from Lis house. So Much Smoke. Councillor Frost (chairman of tho Reserves Committee) seconded tho motion, remarking that tho Reserves Committee would welcome an inquiry, "All this fume and fury about this thing," he added', "is so much smoke." Councillor Fletcher: You don't bother about human beings at all." Councillor Frost said that the committee had acted in a regular mannor pursuant to tho report ol its officer. Nevertheless ho would be pleased to have an inquiry, and hoped that effect would be given to the resolution at as early a. date as possible. Councillor M'Laren supported the motion. Ho did not want, no said, to comment strongly upon any individual, but it seemed abrupt to send out a notice to anyone ordering them to leave a house on tho morrow. The matter should bo properly investigated. Councillor Fletcher added to his resolution a proviso that, pending the result of the inquiry, the employee concerned should retain his present position and his house. Councillor Frost said that it was not a fact that tho man had been given only a day's notice. He had been given notice three times, and tho officer of the council had only carried out his instructions. Councillor Fitzgerald asked whether the committee had administrative powers. Tho Acting-Mayor said that ho assumed it had, up to a certain point. Councillor Fletcher: But surely a committeo cannot take upon itself to disrate an old servant of the council without tho council knowing anything about it? The Acting-Mayor: You have had your say. A Good Deal to Say. Councillor Fletcher: Others have had a good many "says," and I will havo a good deal moro to say about it! The Acting-Mayor remarked that the employee spoken of had been transferred tp another position. Ho therefore proposed to put a resolution providing simply that the man should retain possession of his house pending the result of the inquiry. Councillor Fletcher (angrily): I submit, sir, that, you have no right to tear my resolution to pieces. The council knows nothing about tho man being disrated, and, pending an inquiry, he should bo allowed to retain hip houso and his former position. Councillor Frost: I certainly must object to that. The man has been transferred and another appointed in his place. The discussion at this stage became a little mixed, and Councillor Fitzgerald remarked that he did not know why tho council should ..have to stand Councillor Fletcher and Councillor Frost having an argument across the table. "Arrogating Power." Councillor Atkinson (addressing tho Acting-Mayor): Aro you arrogating power to alter a resolution properly <put without ruling any part of it out of order. The* Acting-Mayor repeated that tho man was now in a. different position. Councillor Fletcher declared that so far as the council knew, the man was foreman of the gardens and occupier of a house. Councillor Frost pointed out that !tho man was an employee of the council and not an officer. If this sort of tiling went on it would bo as reasonable when Mr. Morton "sacked" one of his men in tho street to drag the matter up at the council table. "If you are going to do this," Councillor Frost concluded heatedly, "dismiss the superintendent and put this man in his place." Councillor Fletcher: Well, you should not have brought the superintendent down to-night. If ho likes to sit and hear it he can. Couucillor Frest said that every man dismissed had a right of appeal to tho council. In this case lie had_ seconded tho motion for an _ inquiry, which would enable the man disrated to appeal. Councillor M'Laren said that tho committee had come to a.decision, but 'had not reported it to tile council. To this, as a member of the committee, ho took exception. Going Rather Far. Councillor Barber supported Councillor Fletcher's motion to a certain. ext4.it. but ho considerel that Councillor Fletcher was going rather far, and was proposing to take away authority, not only from the Superintendent of Reserves, but also from Mr. Morton and the .Superintendent of the Firo Brigade. If anything wrong had been done, ho was willing that it should be righted, but Councillor Fletcher should be content with tho motion in the form proposed by the Acting-Mayor, seeing that another employee had been appointed to do the work formerly done by tho man who had been disrated. Councillor Fuller spoke in a similar strain, and stated that lie did not liko to seo tho officers of tho council undermined. They had heard the man's side but they had not heard Mr. Glen's side. Councillor Fletcher: Oh, I know both sides! , • Councillor Fuller: Well, I don t. lou would not do this in your own business, I am suTe, and you should not try to do it hero. . After some further discussion, the motion was passed in tho form proposed by tho Acting-Mayor. r .,. On the motion 01 CsunmUor Fletcher, a committee, consisting of Councillois •Ukinson, Godber, Trevor, Frost, 1* ilzgerald, M'Laren, and Fletcher, was appointed to conduct the inquiry.