BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2274, 10 May 1921, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

COMMITTEES SET UP

At last flight's Council meeting the Mayor moved, and Cr. Coley seconded, that the following committees be set up?— Qas Works. —The Mayor and Crs. Bryant, Coley and Ross. Finance.—The Mayor and Crs. Bryant, Ross and Walker. Public Works. —The Mayor and Crs. Coley, Thompson and Bryant. Reserves. —The Mayor and Crs. Martin, Whibley and Thompson. . Cemetery.—The Mayor and Crs. Coley, Rand and Thompson. Library. —The Mayor and Crs. Whibley, Rand and Smith. Town Hall. —The Mayor and Crs. Smith, Walker and Whibley. Water and Drainage. —The Mayor and Crs. Martin, Ross and Walker. The Mayor to be .chairman of all Committees.

The Mayor, in moving the motion, said that the Committees set out iu the motion were not definite, and could be altered if the Council thought fit. Cr. Whibley said that lie could not compliment the Mayor on his proposed Committees. In setting up committees it should be the endeavour of the Council to pul councillors on the committees which they were best fitted to serve on, and also to give each Councillor a seat on at least one of the more important committees. This had not been done, as the list before the Council gave some of the Councillors a seat on two and three of the most important committees, and other Councillors were on only the minor ones. Cr Bryant was down for the Gas Works, Finance and Public Works Committee- —all important ones —and Cr. Ross Gas Works, Finance, and Water and Drainage. Cr. Rand, who had already served two years at the table, was lo be placed on the Cemetery ‘and Library Committees only—very minor committees indeed —and Cr. Smith on the Town Hall and Library Committees. He considered a fairer distribution should be made, and moved as an amendment that the Committees as suggested in the Mayors motion be set up, with the following alterations: —Cr. Martin to be substituted for Cr. Bryant in the Gas Works Committee; Cr. Whibley instead of Cr. Ross (Finance), Cr. Rand in place of Cr. Bryant (Public Works), Cr. Smith for Cr. Martin (.Water and Drainage), Cr. Bryant for Cr. Mart in “(Reserves), Cr. Martin for Cr. Whibley (Library), Cr. Bryant for Cr. Smith (Town Hall). Cr. Rand seconded the amendment.

Cr Martin supported the amendment, and agreed that Councillors should lie placed on the commit tees on which they were best fitted to serve.

The amendment, on being put, was lost, the* voting - being: —For: Crs. Whibley, Rand, Smith and Martin. Against: The Mayor and Crs. Coley, Bryant, Thompson, Walker and Ross. Cr. Whibley then moved a further amendment that Cr. Martin he substituted for Cr. Bryant on the Gas Works Committee. This was seconded by Cr. Smit h. The mover said that no doubt Cr. Martin had more knowledge of gas works than any other member of the Council, and he should make a valuable member of that* Committee., Cr. Ross asked that the amendment he altered to provide for Cr. Martin taking his (Cr. Ross') place on.the Committee. Cr. Whibley said that as an engineer Cr. Ross would he of good service on the Gas Works Committee, and he thought he should remain on the Committee.

Cr. Thompson asked if the two Councillors concerned (Crs. Bryant and Martin) were agreeable to the alteration being made.

The Mayor said that the Committees would have to be decided by the Council, and -places on Committees could not be changed by Councillors themselves. The amendment, on being put, was lost, the voting being the same ns previously. Cr. Whibley said that apparently it was useless to try and alter the Committees suggested by the Mayor, as no doubt* the voting on any further amendment moved would be the same. He was not satisfied with (lie position, and considered a much fairer allocation could have been made.

The motion was then put and carried.