“BREEZE” AT COUNCIL TABLE

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 114, 11 February 1928, Page 10

“BREEZE” AT COUNCIL TABLE

CHAIRMAN AND MEMBER DISAGREE QUESTION OF GOING INTO COMMITTEE Divisions of opinion occurred in quick succession at last night’s meeting of the Hutt County Council between the chairman (Mr. S. Blackley) and Councillor S. G. Nathan. The “breeze” followed a certain statement made by the county inspector relating to the county steam roller, and preceded the voting on a motion that the council go into committee to discuss the matter. When the matter of the roller was mentioned by the borough foreman, Councillor Nathan urged . that the question be discussed immediately, and further, that the discussion be taken in open council. Mr. Blackley said that tlie question had already been gone into, and that no good purpose would be served by discussing it again. He added that the council were against Councillor Nathan in the matter. He contended that discussion on it should be in committee.

Councillor Nathan: No, the council are not against me. You did not have the full facts before you when you discussed the question previously. Mr. Blackley: This thing has to be considered on the evidence. It has already been settled by members of the council. Mr. Nathan: You did not have the full facts before you then, and you did not have the evidence we now fiave before us.

The chairman: You have a right to your own opinion. We have taken the necessary action and no good can come by pursuing it further. Mr. Nathan: A lot of good. is to come.

Mr. Blackley: You could move for an investigation, but we are not going into anything on hearsay. “The irregularities in this council,” said Mr. Nathan, “have been in the engineer’s department only. There were no irregularities in any other part of the office. It is only fair to say this. At this stage the chairman asked for a show of hands as to whether the question should be taken in committee, a previous request for a vote being more or less drowned by the crossfire talk. The vote resulted in Councillors Nathan and Dyer favouring the discussion being taken in open council and the remainder favouring going into committee.

“If we are going into hush-hushy,” said Councillor Nathan, “it is no good going into the matter at all. You take iir> the wrong attitude in this matter, Mr Chairman. There is too much oneman show in this council, and it has got to be stopped.” The council proceeded with the remainder of the general business, going info committee after this had been completed .