STATEMENT BY THE MAYOR

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8360, 21 February 1913, Page 7

STATEMENT BY THE MAYOR

DRAFTING OF THE MOTION. AN EMPHATIC DENIAL. After tte meeting, the Mayor (Mr D. McLaren) made tbe following statement to a “Times” representative; “With reference to the statement of Councillor Frost that I drafted 'the motion, that is absolutely incorrect. Tte truth is that Councillor Frost consulted the city solicitor, who advised him that tho proper way was to amend and not to rescind the previous resolution. Councillor Frost was in a difficulty as to tho form in which to put tte matter, and came to me. I told him if he wanted to move to amend, then the proper literary form of the clause would be to put in tte amending portion first, because that was partly rescinding, and the new scheme that was to he adopted should Vj .latecl afterwards. It is true that I advised bim ns to the Eterary form ... tut- thing, but 1 had.nothing what-

ever to do with the policy of it. The fact of the matter was that he seemed unable to put it in literary form, and 1 simply advised him as to the construction of the recommendation. It was subsequent to this that the city solicitor laid before me the standing orders of our council and those of the London County Council. Tho orders of the London County Council make clear provision that a motion to revoke or alter a previous resolution filial! not apply in the case of a decision come to on the motion of a chairman of a committee when submitting tho committee’s report. There is no such previous in our standing orders, and therefore I found I had to role as our standing orders are, and not as I would like them to he. STAYED PROCEEDINGS. “It probably will be suggested that by my ruling I stayed the proceedings, hut I want to point out that Councillor Atkinson distinctly said at a previous meeting that if that report were adopted, it would not complete the matter, and ho seemed to indicate that . he would table the motion to rescind, which he did on a previous occasion, when the same question of. policy was before the council in relation to Kelburne Park. If the motion to rescind was tabled, as there is little doubt would have been tbe case, then no action would be taken until that motion to rescind was dealt with, and it would enter in the ordinary course after other motions that have been tabled, so that not one moment of time. could have been saved by our adopting the committee’s recommendation to-night. RULING SOUND. “I feel satisfied that the ruling X gave was perfectly sound in view of the state of our standing orders. 1 have for a long time wanted to have our standing orders ‘ amended and brought into proper form in order that business may be conducted as it should bo. For some reason or other, I find that they have been delayed, _ but until they are adopted the .portion will continue to be unsatisfactory.” “How do you look upon the vote?’’ asked tho reporter.' “Do you take it as a vote of no-confidence ?’ ’ “Yes and no,” was tte Mayor’s reply, “X have never had tho confidence of a majority of tte members of the council, because (speaking from a municipal standpoint) they are opposed to mo politically. Everybody knows that this is so.” “Is the vote likely to affect your course of action in tho future?” was another question. “No. 1 don’t think so,” was tha Mayor’s response.