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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3648, 22 March 1883, Page 2

Ix the Municipal Council last night a letter was read from the .Borough Engineer, in which the following occurs: — " I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of ' Instructions ' dated March 10th, IHS3, and of which the first clause is to this effect, viz..

'No works outside of those ordinarily performed by Corporation labor are to be undertaken without the express permission of the Public Works Committee.' The meaning of this clause 1 nru at a loss to understand, and in justice to myself I beg to reply to the statements made by Councillor Price in moving the resolution. And I would state: 1. That the money of ratepayers has not boon spent on works unauthorised by the Council. '2. That "this kind of thing " has not been going on since my apjiointment at any rate. '■). That there have been no verbal instructions given by the Public Works Committee and disregarded by mi. , : and flint Councillor Price's memory is singularly at fault in this respect. -I. That works have not been carried out of which the first intimation the Public Works Committee received respecting them was when the vouchers for payment were brought up. .3. And that so far from a great deal of money having been spout foolishly the reverse has been the case, so far as lam concerned. G. So far have .1 been from taking undue or unauthorised power into my hands that I have been careful (although I held authority from the Public Works Committee to order works under the value of jl'lQ on my own responsibility) to obtain the consent of the committee to the expenditure of much smaller sums, ranging from .CI up to £18." Cr. J , rice was absent from his > e at in the Council, but had he known that such a letter was going to be read lie would have been there. Cγ. I. , rice is not ashamed of anything he has said or dmie since he lias been in the Council, and he docs not care two straws for the persistent misrepresentation thai has followed him during his connection with borough affairs. The Engineer's letter will not be considered by the Council till its next meeting, the eil'ect of which is tho postponement of Cr. Price's resignation till after that date.