LIGHTING IE KUITI.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 414, 15 November 1911, Page 5

LIGHTING IE KUITI.

REPORT ON METHODS

REPORT FOR SPECIAL MEETING

At the meeting of the Te Kuiti Bor-

ough Council on Monday evening a report from Messrs J, J. Niven and Co., of Wellington, dealing with lighting systems including patrol gas, coal gas, suction gas—electrical,and hydro-elec-trical methods was received. The report was dealt with by the Lighting Committee at a meeting before the

general meeting of the council and the

committee recommended that the report be received and handed to the press for publication. Speaking to thp. report Cr Forsyth said he thought the Lighting Committee was shirking its duty. The report should be considered by the committee and a recommendation made to the council.

Cr Young said he would like to know why Niven and Co. had notified private peopie ha to the gist of the report before' the reno-t reached the council.

The Mayor said that was a matter the council could not answer for. He had heard nothing, but it was common knowledge that rumours concerning many matters were continually circulating. Cr Young said in this case it was not a ca3e of rumour; he had a letter from a business firm which saiil Niven and Co's. representative had informed him that a draft report had been forwarded to the council, and that it favoured petrol gas. Cr Young quoted a passage from the letter to this effect The Mayor said, as a matter of fact, the report recommended no particuair system —it was left perfectly open to the council to decide. Carefully prepared estimates of the different systems had been prepared. On the motion of Cr Finlay it was resolved that the report of the committee be adonted.

A motion by Cr Forsyth seconded by Cr Young, that the report be referred back to the Lighting Committee provoked considerable discussion, and Cr Lusk moved an amendment which was seconded by Cr Hardy, that the report be referred to the whole council in committee to be dealt with.

Speaking to the motion Cr Forsyth said he was strongly of opinion that the Lighting Committee should go into the matter thoroughly and make a recommendation to the council. They would then have well considered reasons for any recommendation that would be made. They had been jockeyed over other matters — The Mayor: How jockeyed, Cr Forsyth? Cr Forstyh: It was the feeling of the council that the report that was wanted was from a hydro-electrical engineer, and they thought such report was going to be obtained. The thing had been done upside down. The Mayor, speaking with feeling, said he was absolutely tired of that sort cf attitude by certain councillors. Cr Forsyth didn't get his own way and in consequence made insinuations in the matter with respect to underhand work. The letter had been read just then showed that it was impossible for the council to do anything without outside influence cropping up. They were behaving like a lot of school boy 3. Let them deal with the work cf the council like reasonable grown men and not like children. He was surprised and disgusted at the spirit in which petty trifles were magnified. Cr Hardy said he had no intention of shirking any duty. It was an easy matter to criticise. He thought the report should be considered by the whole council. As a member of the Lighting Committee he didn't want to shove his views down anybody's throat. Let everybody stand up and have their say and done with it. The Mayor said he favoured the amendment. There was no question of shirking duty. The matter had been before the public for a considerable time and it would only be doing double work by referring the report to the Lighting Committee. It would have to finally come before the council and be gone into thoroughly by all of them.

The amendment, on being put, was carried by the casting vote of the Mayor, the voting being —For: The Mayor, Crs Lusk, Somerville, Hardy and Finlay; against: Crs Forsyth, Young, Sims, Tammadge and Julian.