STILL AT LOGGERHEADS.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 5 March 1918, Page 3

STILL AT LOGGERHEADS.

The antagonism which unfortunately seems to have sprung- up

betweeii two local Oodles was not mitigated by an incident wmeh occurred at last night s meeting oi the .borough Council.

A letter was received from the Committee wltiun ottered to conduct the aquatic carnival to-mor-row for the purpose of raising funds for bath improvements, stating it had decided to proceed with the matter, and copies oi uie programme would be forwarded as soon as these were ready. The letter continued: "I have therefore to. request that you will take the necessary steps to put the tea room in order by the above mentioned date. Re gas and water supply, my committee is of opinion that these are matters of ttr-

gency, and • accordingly 1 have the honoui to ask your Council to receive a. deputation from my Committee at its next ordinary meeting when further representations will be made. . . 1 am directed to thank your Council for its offer to assist, my Coiumit-

tee, and to request, in pursuance of that offer, that your Council provide a gatekeeper on the day of the Carnival."

When the letter was read the Mayor said that while -lie had no wish to be severe, personally he felt the Council did not want to be exactly run by the swimming committee. The Council was prepared to do as much as possible to help in the matter. Already it was committed to expenditure of £11 and ,£5 and it seemed to him.

that the Council was doing very well. That was not counting the assistance the Council's officials were giving. It was a question whether the Council should hear

the' deputation on a matter on which the Council had alx-eady decided after very full consideration.

Cr Parker said the Council had present a member of the School Committee sitting' as a Councillor

and any further representations could be made through him. lie supported the .Mayor's view.

Cr Aitken pointed out that the deputation had nothing - to do with the school committee and represented .a separate body.

Cr Lancaster considered it was the duty of the Council to receive any deputation which desired to wait on it. They need not be guided by what the deputation said, but the Council had no right to turn any deputation down. The Mayor: Do you think thai if a body of men come time and again in furtherance of a request that lias already been refused, the Council should coutinuc to hear them? Cr Lancaster: They have oniy been here once before.

Cr Mackenzie said the matter liad come before the Council anel

had been duly considered, and it looked as if they had not given it due consideration to re-open it so soon again. The Council would really be- going over the same ground aya in.

Cr Jlatheson said the deputation might have some new arguments to bring forward and they should remember that previously the deputation waited oil the Council very hurriedly. U' Jji'uoiiie siuu iuis was a xuatter in \\ 11 acli me was .nob lor tnemseives bui lor Hie Juenem ut tne t>j\» n generally. .more was a division oi opinion in the committee as to again waiting on tne Council but tne matter was oi some urgency. -Lu considered it was tne Council s! duty to hear the deputation. Cr llyder thought they ought to receive the deputation. The .Mayor said that as a matter of courtesy they could hear the deputation, but if it was going to bring forward matters on which the Council had alrtjidy decided it would simply be wasting time. Cr Lancaster: I think we are wasting time now. The Mayor: That is entirely a matter of opinion, Cr Lancaster. The deputation was theii admitted, and the Mayor intimated that the Council was not inclined to re-open any matter on which the committee had already had a decision of the Council. Mr \V. Thomson said that was just what they had come to see Council about —to ask it to reconsider its previous decision. The estimated cost to the Council of putting in the gas was iiU or £7, but to a private person it would be about oOs. Since last meeting a point of some importance had cropped up in regard .to the trying out of school children for swimming certificates. These were learners and they were often exhausted by their efforts. It would be a great advantage to be able to give them something hot at the end of their exertions. This week the girls would be swimming and the committee was going to have something hot for them, gas or no gas. These exercises were in the interests of the children's health and the committee- was only-seeking to encourage swimming. 'the tea room had been very satisfactorily altered and the water could be brought into the room by a. piece of hose pipe. If the Council had finally decided about the gas perhaps itcould supply a boiler for tlie tea and a man to look after it. would also like to have someone to sell tickets. The Committee wished to see the baths popularised and the town go ahead. The Mayor said the Committee had had its answer in regard to the gas, and he thought the CounciF would supply the boiler and the man to look after it. After some further discussion it <fas also agreed that the Connnil would (-art the necessary seats. In regard to the gatekeeper, Mi-

Thomson said the committee would be busy acting as judges and in other capacities. it was suggested that a Councillor might but eventually the Town Clerk olifered to take tlie position, and the otter was accepted. The deputation then withdrew.

Shortly afterwards the Town Clerk announced that lie had received the following' letter liuju the committee: "liy direction oi the -Committee of the Swimming Tournament 1 have to inform you that the Committee will underI take the entire ■ management and expense of the tournament. Consequently the oilers of your Council to arrange various services will not be required, and are therefore declined with thanks. You will understand therefore that (lie Committee will provide a gate, keeper, carter and a man to look after- the boiler and perform any other necessary .services. Again thanking your Council for the consideration that 1 ras been extended. Yours, etc., A. -T. Harding', Hon. Secretary."

"Rather childish and in rather had taste" was the Mayor's comment when the letter was read.

Or Mackenzie said he -opposed flip request when it was first made and got a considerable amount of abuse outside for the "narrowminded way lie looked at the matter." The Committee was not going the proper way to secure his support-. The Council then passed to the next Business.