BOROUGH EMPLOYEES RESENT ALLEGATION OF LAZINESS

Grey River Argus, 17 September 1948, Page 3

BOROUGH EMPLOYEES RESENT ALLEGATION OF LAZINESS

Rsqusst for Apology

Members of the Council staff expressed resentment to remarks made to the last meeting of the Greymouth Borough Council, by Cr T. Blackie, in a letter received at the Council meeting last night. The letter complained of the following statement which appeared in the “Greymouth Evening Star” following the last meeting:—“There is nothing about Preston Road in this letter”, replied the Mayor. “It would be simple to repair this section of the road, but 1 do not agree with being told where we should spend our money”. “I >muld fix the road myself in four hours”, said Cr Herring. “Then it should be possible to have the work done in a day by the borough staff”, said Cr T. Blackie. The letter continued: “We members of the staff, who consider that we do, and have always rendered good and efficient service to the Council and to the citizens of Greymouth, feel that Cr Blackie’s remarks, apart from being absolutely without foundation in fact, can oily jeopardise the harmonious relations which have existed between the Council and its employees over the years. We feel that Cr Blackie should be called upon by the Council to publicly repudiate his statement, and should tender his apologies for making remarks which suggest that the members of the staff w both incompetent and lazy”. “SARCASTIC” REFERENCE The Mayor, Mr F. F. Boustridge, said all councillors would remember the discussion on a letter from the Blaketown-Preston Road Ratepayers' Association. Cr W. Herring made a statement, that he considered was a gross understatement, in saying that he could fix the road in four hours. In making sarcastic reference to it, Or T Blackie made the remarks complained of. He was not complaining of the report, but in matters of this kind it was as well to understand the tone in which things were uttered. The Mayor said he considered that Cr Blackie, in making the remark, was casting no reflections on the borough staff, but on what he considered an understatement by Cr Herring. The Council had the greatest respect for the staff, and did not wish any reflection cast on them. He said he was not going to ask Cr Blackie to withdraw or apologise. Cr Herring said that, when he said “four hours”, he was referring to the water on the road —not the general repairs. The Mayor: In fact, the water was cleared by the borough staff in two hours.

Cr Herring added that when .an employee told him that the staff resented Cr Blackie’s remarks, he told him that it was nothing but good natured humour.

Cr Blackie said that the Mayor and Cr Herring had put the case truthfully. As proof that he was not passing any disparaging remarks, he could say that there were plenty of councillors who would have taken him up If he ever had to complain about a member of the borough staff, he would not do it that way. The letter was received.