A REPUDIATION

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 206, 26 May 1920, Page 7

A REPUDIATION

At the meeting of the City Council some three weeks ago Councillor P. Fraser mado a statement to the effect that it had been reported to him that the Director of Reserves (Mr. J. A. MacKenzie) had threatened to dismiss from the council's employ certain men if they ioined the Gardeners' Union. ■At last evening's meeting of the council, the following reply was tabled by Mr. MacKonzie (through the Reserves Committee:— .., ' . ~ "At the last council meeting it was stated by a certain councillor that I had threatened some of the men with dismissal if they joined the Gardeners Union. Such a statement is grossly incorrect and absolutely untrue. Needless for me to state that if such wild assertions as the abovo are allowed to go unanswered my reputation for fair dealing, both with tho council and the employees concerned, will be seriously undermined and the work of the Reserves Department will suffer accordingly. Counoillor Fraser said that he had asked a question and; had not made a statement. He thought that Mr. MacKcnzie was quite justified in making the statement he had, and he believed that Mr. MacKenzio was a man who was likely to give the men a fair deal. Councillor R. Wright took exception to. members of the council making wild statements on what was purely an ex parte statement made by a council employee. When any'employee came to him about any matter he endeavoured to prove the truth or otherwise of tha statement before bringing it before the council. By that means they avoided doing an injustice to one of the council s officers.