THE WHITEWASH CLUB.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 776, 17 October 1922, Page 5

THE WHITEWASH CLUB.

(By “Vigilant).) An extraordinary meeting of the above club was held in the Oddfellows’ Hall. Bukekohq, on Saturday. Oqtober Bth, in response to a request from the Chamber of Horrors (sorry, Commerce) to hear the Mayor in an attempt to explain the ctfficulties which cannot be overcome at present in connection with the electric lighting of the town and other mattersIt was generally understood that fair, square, cOjm and' gentlemanly discussion without mud slinging or vituperation would have been allowed in that event suggestions and proposals worth considering may have been brought forward. Instead of that), the Mayor overlooking the fact that he hdlds the position as the result of an election by the people to whom he had offered his services and whose servant he became, adopted a very hostile demeanour from the sffart., . A Councillor was put into the chair to act as chairman, whose duty it was to control the meeting and announce form it should take. Instead of carrying out his duties he was chairman in name only. He certainly sat in the chair but in .the attitude of a very tired individual who was taking no interest in the proceedings. The Mayor announced that he was there to address 'the meeting and! to answer questions ; that he would not allow any remarks or explanations why a question was asked He rattled off a lot of figures which few could follow He'"claimed credit for having obtained! rebates on certain plant from the Customs. (This is allowed to all local bodies, therefore no credit. is due to the Mayor on that score). The Mayor said that he had every confidence in my worthy friend the engineer and, his diectric light. (At this juncture -the light went completely out and remained so for several minutes). In fact so much confidence that if a miracle ocurped we might expect a decent light in from two weeks to six months, but no guarantee could be given, and that in the meantime peoplq, e.-peci-ally «those dependent on power to drive, machinery must do the best they couild. That the engineer had given to the /Borough a gas producer at a cost of £3OO worth a lot, but with which there was no guarantee. Then he claimed credit for a wonderful bit of work by explaining that a second hand engine which was valued at £SOO and bought for that sum had hden smashed up at the poW«|r bouse, that by expending another £SOO of the ratepayers’ money to glue it together again it would be a brand new engine and woijth the same money as the makers will supp.y one for fftrom (their factory, viz.. £I7OO. (What price turning second-hand dealers eli?) Then up l'ose another party and thanked the Mayor on behalf of the Borough Council he meant “the Chamber of Commerce”) for his address and was glad to hear that we should probably have a decent llight for another six months. The audience left the meeting little wisqr than when they went but were assured 1 that the Mayor intended to carry out /the business of the Borough in a high-handed manner and that ratepayers must adopt a cringing altitude in future, and not dare to question the! powers that be or complain. The meeting closed without a vofe of thanks being proposed, seconded ar put to the meeting, despite the fact (that the local paper said such was done.