THE DRAINAGE SCHEME.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2207, 3 June 1908, Page 3

THE DRAINAGE SCHEME.

MAYOR and councillors in MA dispute. engagement oe me. jickell ■ CANCELLED. TUo action of tho Mayor (Mr. AV. D. Lysriur) in engaging Mr. Jickcll to report on a drainage scheme' tor Gisborne while, a notice of motion by Or. Sheridan, which would have cancelled that- engagement, was' on the order paper, olicited some vigorous criticism at the. meeting of the Borough Council last evening. In the curly part of the mooting the Town Clerk reported having sent the following letter to Mr. S. Jiokell"‘l am directed by His "Worship tho Mayor t 0 acknowledge the receipt of your wire offering to report on the sewage for Gisborne at a cost of between lid and “0 guineas, ami in- reply have to state that the Council'agreed to accept your offer.” When the letter was read, Cr. Bright asked who signed the letter. ' The Town Clerk said it was sent by direction of the Mayor. Cr. Bright proceeded to discuss the matter, but was promptly ruled out of order by the Mayor. Cr. Bright: I’ll move a resolution if you like, rind I eau say wliat I want to say. lam very sorry to have to movo a resolution. The Mayor: You can do so if von like.

Cr. Bright:Very well then, I will write it out. ‘'The Mayor: If it questions mv acturn in regard to tho letter 1 wil: rule it out of order. . Gr. Maun : You have just ruled it in order. Cr. Bright: I will not criticise vout actions, but unless the letters can be ecoumoutod u ],y , arc they read : The Mayor: Of course vou cm. comment on the letter. Cr. tin gut; That is wlmt 1 am going to <lo. 1 will content niysen with moving—" That mme opinion of tuo Council the iotter to Mr. dick ell should not have been sent until Cr. bheridnn's motion had been pu. before the Council, and regrets tin uction or the .Mayor in the matter.’ The Mayor: 1 must ask you not tc move the motion. You can’t comment ns to whether it was right to send the letter or not. Cr. Sheridan : The Alavor has stated that he informed Mr. Jickcll oi what took place ut the Council table. Why did Jie not send a full record? Cr. Mann: I suppose I. must not say anything; but 1 have much pleasure in seconding tho motion. (Laughter.) Cr. Sheridan: I do not think then is any need for any heat or for any scene such as sometimes occurs in Councils outside Gisborne. "We have been free from such hitherto. Cr. Bright: I am sorry volt force me to put the motion, Mr. ivl^/or. The Mayor: I don't force vou to" put it. Cr. Bright: You don’t give mo any other opportunity to speak. Cr. Sheridan: As tho matter will come on again I would suggest that Cr. Bright withdraw his motion in the meantime. Cr. Bright: I don’t mind withdrawing tho motion now I’ve said what T wanted to say. Tho motion was accordingly withdrawn. Mr. R. L. Mestayer wroto to the Council as follows: ’’lie auxiliary power for the water supply in the Gisborno drainage scheme, I have gout into the figures as closely as possible, but as you do not say where the loin ’main ends, I cannot give any exac*. determination of the power available or the cost to use it. I estimate that at the present time, and until the population amounts to 10,000 persons, there would bo 15 to 20 horsepower available, but in order to develop this power it would bonecessary to bring the water by 10-inch mains. Assuming that 20 horsepower can be obtained, it would be an advantage, to in6tnll a 24 or 00-inch ‘Pelton’ wheel to drive' the air compressors, and oil or gas engines for. such times when the supply was in-'-efficient. On no account could I ad-, vice the Council to deperid-solely upon, power to bo derived front the water supply, for should any accident happen to tho mains the whole of the drainage would bo ponded in the sewers. I heard some short time agt that Gisborne cotild be sewered on thi samo lines as Palmerston North for t less cost than my scheme. As Palmerston North lias been sewered oi lines laid down in a very full repori I gavo to the Palmerston North Borough Council in 1901, I assert that the conditions in Gisborne are so different to Palmerston North that the latter system cannot be applicable to Gisborne.” In a second letter Mr. Mestayer disclaimed any connection with the Dunedin sewage scliomo. - Tho Mayor said the letter merely asked for further information, whicl should bo supplied. Cr. Darton said if the water supply could be made available for motivi power it was an important matter. He moved that all information be supplied. He would like Mr. Couston to supply the information. Cr. Sheridan seconded "the motion, which was carried. ■ _ The ordinary business of the Council was then proceeded with, but liter oil, at twenty-five minutes te twelve,

Cr, Sheridan moved that the resolu tion to engage Mr, Jickell be rescinded. Iu doing so Cr. Sheridan said lie did not know if suc]i was tho time to question tho action of the Mayor in ongaging Mr. Jickell hvithout putting tho positioh before him, and to contradict a statement pui>licly_ made by. His Worship that the .motion to adjourn tho debate at tho last meeting came from him. The Mayor:Keep to tlie resolution. Cr. Sheridan: I understand I can traverse the whole debate. The Mayor at first objected, but subsequently said: You have gone so far you had better thrash tho whole tiling out. Cr. Sheridan: The Mayor said Mr. Jickell’s report was required to prevent an expensive scheme being forced On tho borough, that Mr. Jickell had said that tho conditions of Gisborne and Palmerston North 'were similar, and Mr. Jickell had planned the scheme at Palmerston North, He (Cr Sheridan) had information that the latter was not tho case. He did not think tho Mayor had acted rightly in engaging Mr. Jickell when a notice of motion was standing on tho Books. Tho Mayor carried tho resolution on his casting vote and engaged Mr. Jickoll when he knew that if there had beon a full Council the motion would not have boon carried. He (Or. Sheridan) was not against supplementary advieo from an eminent engineer, but ho thought tho Mayor would "lie honest enough to admit that he engaged Mr. Jickell on the understanding 'that he had planned and carried out tho Palmerston North scheme. It could be shown, and it would bo shown, that Mr. Jickell had nothing to do with designing that scheme, and it cost nearly 100 per cent over the original estimate. Cr. Bright, in seconding the resolution, said there was already a resolution approving of Mr. Mestayer’s scheme, and until that was rescinded ho considered the resolution, passed to tingago Mr. Jickell was ultra viresHe was away at the time of the last Council meeting, and ho had thought that a Councillor could feel assured that such a motion would not be carried on tho casting vote of tho Mayor when a full Council was not present. That was against all precedent, but.on top of that there was a notice of motion to rescind tho rcso__Aution, and it was perfectly plain to ram Mayor that tho motion would bo carried; but lie bad engaged Mr. Jickell at Gisborne at a cost of £7O to report wheu tlm Council had approved of Mr. Mcstayer’n plans. Tho Mayor must now fed that bis action was ill-advised, when ho knew he had not the support of tho 'Council. r ,, r : Mami said lie agreed with Crs. , Sheridan and Bright, and regretted • bo was not present to record his vote at the last meeting. Ho was surprised ami sorry at the action of . the Mayor, for it was most unusual for a casting voto to bo used in bringing about a change: n casting yoto was usually employed to allow matters to remain unaltered. . Tho Mayor said ho thought ho could afford to differ from tho 6pcak- ’ nrs on the question. Or, Bright had

put. the position tersely when ho said tho mnjoritv of tho Council did not want Mr. "JiekolPs report, and ho (tlio Mayor) decided that no obstacle should bo put in the way of a cheap drainage scheme. Tho question only involved an amount- of £7O, and as t here , was so much to gain and so little to lose, ho decided to: take action: Tho whole question was one of -the competency of tho engineer. No-request was made by any Councillor not to engage Mr. Jiftkoll. Ho spoke to one Councillor, and ho concurred in what bo had dono.

Cr. Bright: A supporter. The Mayor:. Yes, a supporter. Cr.Bright wanted more information about Mv. Jickell. Cr. Bright: I don’t want words put in my mouth. I said nothing of the kind. ... ■ The Mayor: I don’t want to put words into vour mouth. ... Cr. Bright: Will you withdraw that statement? Tho Mayor: Well, you say one thing and I say tho other. , ~ , ■ The Mavor: If I can show that Air. Jickcll is‘a, competent man I claim .vour votes. I want to reply to Cr. Mann’s statement that he did not think anything would be done At a committee meeting ot the tvliolo Council I said I would brum the matter forward, and Cr. Bright- was the only Councillor absent. Cr. Mann: I remember it now you mention it: but that docs not altor the case. ~ ~ Tho Mavor: Cr. Sheridan said Mr. Jickcll was not a competent engin- _ Cr. Sheridan: No! No! -I said no such thing. . . . , „ The Mavor:-1 was advised by Ur. Bright to stop Mr. Jiokell from com"in". and at once sent telegrams ns to' Mr. JickelL’s nilalifloations. If Cr. Bright does not want to , know anything about Mr. Jiokell— Cr. Bright: Ploaso don’t misquote me.

The Mayor: If Mr. Jickell can give us a better scheme let us rescind tho resolution to adopt Mr. Mestnyor’s scheme -.but nothing has been done to stop that- Continuing, the .Mayor said Mr. Jickell had assural hint, by telegram, of his qualifications, and of tho fact, that he designed the Palmerston North drainage scheme. Tho Mayor of Palmerston North had also recommended Mr. Jickell, but stated that lie was . not tho designer but superintendent of the drainago scheme of that town.

Cr. Sheridan: Yes, and tho present -Mayor of Palmerston North was the contractor for the scheme.

The Mayor: Well, I double-banked my inquiries, so as to anticipate Cr. Sheridan's opposition. Cr. Sheridan: The Mayor’s report will do mo. Mr. Jickell did not design the scheme. The Mayor then read other telograms from gentlemen from whom ho had inquired as to Mr. Jickell’s qualifications. Ho had also wired Dr. Mason; but had not had a reply. Cr. Sheridan: Mr. Mestayer designed the Palmerston North scheme ; vou have proved my case better than I could myself. The Mayor: Somo of the Councillors are lattgliing ; but this is a serious matter. You aro asking tho ratepayers to sanction a heavy expenditure in Mr. Mestayer’s scheme. Cr. Sheridan: We can stop it.

The Mayor:, If we err in getting information, it will be an error, on the right side, and the Council should not quarrel over £6O or £7O. I understood you, Cr. Sheridan, to say Mr. .Jickell was not a "competent engineer, and if I understand English I understood you to say that. You promised to show me a letter stating he was not. a qualified engineer. Cr. Sheritlan: That is an .absolute untruth. I said no such thing. I stand or fall on those telegrams alone. The Mayor: The resolution can’t make any difference. Tho man will be here in the morning, and you •might as well pay the money and get ■:he value.

Cr. Sheridan: Through your error. Let any man say I said Mr. Jickell was not a qualified engineer, and I will tell him, as I tell vou. Mr. Mavor, that he is not speaking the truth.

The Mayor : It is the duty of the Council to get the best advice on the 'question. 1 Cl*. Darton said the Mayor had said in his opening remarks that the majority of tho Councillors; were lgainst" him, and he took action for that reason. Ho (Cr. Darton) did not think-that was right. The Mayor acted legally perhaps; but he did not think anyone else at the Council table would-have done the same. He 'Cr Darton) had made inquiries, and had learned that Mr. Jickell did not design tlift-.Palmerston North scheme. Ur. Mestayer’s statement that he designed the Palmerston North drainage was & complete answer to the Mayor’s statement, and Mr. Mestayer had written that a similar scheme would not suit.Gisborne. The whole ground had been cut away from the Mayor’s feet, and he had not an argument to stand on. The Mayor should publicly withdraw tho statement that Mr. Jickell designed the Palmerston North scheme. Cr. Whim-ay said lie supported the resolution under the impression that .Air. Jickell had earned out the Palmerston North scheme, and ho believed he did carry it out. Ho thought tlio Council had taken up a hostile attitude against the benefit. ' Cr. Somervell said ,lio still agreed that a report should be obtained front Mr. Jickell, for the town must have drainage, but he was against a septic tank system. Like Cr. AYlijnray lio believed in getting all the information, obtainable. Cr. Sawyer said he would still voto for a report from Mr. Jickell. Cr. Petrie said ho would voto for tho resolution as a protest against tho action of tho-Mayor in engaging Mr. Jickell under tho conditions as they stood. Cr. Sheridan said that the Mayor had admitted that if he found Mr. Jickell did not design the Palmerston North scheme ho would not support a motion that- Air. Jickell be engaged. He (Cr. Sheridan) knew the debate would he construed into an attempt to baulk discussion, hut nothing was further front the minds of Councillors. Cr. Sheridan’s motion was then put and carried by five votes to four. The time was then half-past one this morning, the discussion having continued for two hours, and Cr. Whinray sat down to write dut a notice of motion that Cr. Sheridan’s resolution bo rescinded at tho next meeting of tho Council. During the evening a telegram was received from Mr. Jickell, stating that tic would reach Gisborno to take up his engagement to-day.