Scenes in the Council.

Manawatu Herald, 8 June 1893, Page 2

Scenes in the Council.

It is idle to suppose that public business can be satisfactorily considered when it is broken into by such scenes as the one we had unfortunately to report" %s having/taVen place, [fin} the Itordiigh Council, p.b Monday last When men get excited they do and say many things which they must regret in their calmer moments having done and said, but the mischief to themselves and the district id ' then beyond alteration. ' . : : > ■■■■ ■■■> " < The past scenes, as there have been more than the last reported, have generally arisen on some personal question, and therefore has only paused a^yery.hasty, and, it is to be hoped, an inaccurate statement of the estimation' the Borough Councillors have held of each other. But tho frequent exercise of this unbounded freedom pf^peechiUaust.if unchecked, become so customary with Councillors that questions of grave import, to the ratepayers will meet with discussion carried on iin afo . excited manner andtfesjjH in stiiSie expensive mistakes being made. Everyone! muni Admit that some alteration ig'

necessary, and to effect that it is useful to inquire who is most responsible for the existing state of affairs. We exceedingly regret to state that the Mayor is the ono most fco blame, not because he does not keep hi 3 tongue in control, but because he keeps it too much so. He is elected by the burgesses as head of the Council, he takes the chaii 1 , and the Act and the by-law 3of the Council fully empower him to keep order, even to the extent of inflicting a pretty stiff fine upon disorderly members. The members of the (Jouncil assert that the blame lies at his door, and if they know it, why does not the Mayor also know it ? Whilst appreciating the many excellent qualities of the Mayor we are unable to say that he has proved himself a good chairman, and we are not surprised at the determination he has arrived at, of immediately resigning. We think it is the only way, which he inclines to, in order that the Burgesses may understand he views the conduct of his Council, with disapproval; for ourselves, if placed in a similar position we should have acted very differently, but it all depends on the feelings of individuals. Of course the Councillors as a body are very much to be blamed, those who create the scene, and those who look on, doing nothing to' stop it. Every Councillor had full pbwer to request the Mayor to make an end of it, but on the contrary, they seemed in no hurry for the finish. Such conduct is not creditable and the ratepayers would be wise to watch the future conduct of their representatives very closely so as to guage who are worthy of a continuauce of their confidence. How confusing any excitement, mild or otherwise, is to Councillors, was fully proved on Monday, as when a resolution to do a certain thing, proposed and seconded by Crs Austin and McPherson at the previous meeting, came up for discussion at Monday's meetingV the proposer, Cr Austin, stated he thought he had done differently, though it appeared he had not, aud Cr McPherson said he must have seconded it by mistake ! ! !