Changing Bank Account.

Patea Mail, 7 June 1882, Page 2

Changing Bank Account.

‘‘ GAME OF EUCHRE.”

A strange, sharp, and amusing discussion took place last night at a late hour, in the Borough Council meeting. The Council sat until after the midnight hour on Monday and resumed last evening at 7 o’clock.

The Finance' Committee had invited a tender from each bank as to the terms of an overdraft for £IOOO. The bank managers sent replies, and upon them the Finance Committee reported to the Council that the terms of the bank of Australasia were the most favorable. The Council on Monday received this report as a recommendation, adopted it, and resolved “ that the necessary notice be given in the terms of the Act,” As the discussion of banking terms took place in committee, we are precluded from reporting particulars. When the Council resumed last evening, the question stood in this position : The Council had adopted the recommendation that the Australasian bank’s terms for allowing an overdraft of £IOOO were the most favorable; • Nothing was said in the resolution about the general banking account, but most Councillors understood that the general account would be transferred to the bank which offered the best terms for overdraft. After other business last night, the contest about this bank question was resumed in this way : ■!-May of : I have another motion, Iriiove that the borough fund account remain at the bank of New Zealand.

• Councillor Mahony seconded. Councillor Milroy ; I rise to a point of order. I ask you to rule whether that motion is in order.

Mayor : I rule it is in order, because there is nothing on the minutes to show it is not in order. The resolution passed last night was so ambiguous, that it may be open* to ' half a dozen interpretations. If this is a question of changing the banking account, let us say so by open ’voting. The resolution on the book is not sufficient for me or the Treasurer to transfer the account, and I ask you now to say what you really mean.

Councillor Dixon moved an amendment that the banking account of the borough be changed to the bank of Australasia. Councillor Milroy : This is just again playing shuttlecock with the Council. I say you are setting your Council at defiance, nothing more nor less, exactly because it went against your ideas yesterday.

Mayor: I must beg to call you to order. Whatever took place did so in committee. Councillor Milroy : The vote was taken out of committee, and 1 know how you voted. Yesterday’s meeting is this meeting, and I say this motion is irregular and can’t be taken because you ought to have given notice of motion. It looks bad for the chairman of the Finance Committee to turn round on those with him in this banking matter.

Mayor : I am not doing anything of the kind. I have been consistent throughout. Councillor , Milroy : When a report comes up recommending the best terms, and a motion is carried accepting those terms and that the necessary notice be given, what more does the Mayor want ? It was unfavorable to his ideas, and some people would try to take two meanings out of one word.

Councillor Taplin : I should like to ask whether this meeting is one and the same as last night.

Mayor: Yes. The; motion is quite, logical. Councillor Taplin: Does it not occur to you - that we shall be stultifying our actions by passing this resolution and the other one on the same subject ? Should not the other resolution be first rescinded ? Mayor : No, Councillor Taplin : According to that ruling, I shall second the amendment.

Councillor Gibson : I can fully bear out that the Mayor has been consistent throughout in this matter. The letter to the banks did not embody the Council’s first resolution as to getting information. You tried to coerce the-

Mayor : No ; I cannot allow that term to pass. Councillor Gibson: I don’t know that it is out of order. Mayor : It is an offensive terra.

Councillor Gibson : No more offensive than “ bush lawyer,” which you allowed. It was to prevent us getting more than half the information which wo were to get. The information asked for was simply what interest would be allowed on money deposited. Mayor had the Council’s instruction read, which referred to getting informa-

tion as terms for an overdraft of £IOOO, and said nothing more. Councillor Gibson : We gained information from the banks, and it is stultifying ourselves to upset it now. We are asked to turn round and say we will not take what the Committee reported to-be the most favorable terras.

Mayor: No. Councillor Gibson : The outside public reading om'report would get that impression. You have power to rule, and you wilt use it, but I think most unfairly to the Council, and most unfairly to the Finance Committeee, and most unfairly to those banks which have given information in a straightforward way. Councillor Black : Every Councillor should make a stand against this kind of of proceeding. Because in committee we refused to adopt a certain thing, we are now brought to discuss it openly. It was rny understanding that we adopted the report to change the bank. Mayor: No.

Councillor Black : That is my understanding, and I think it is wrong in you to get up and propose that. Councillor Howitt; I see no advantage in changing the account.

Councillor Adams : If the Finance Committee actually wished to know which bank would give the best terms, they should have gone further and asked the question. At it is, they did not get the information that was wanted from each bank.

Councillor Gibson: The Finance Committee discussed the propriety of visiting the bank managers, and it was ruled by our chairman that it would be better not to do so ; that we should write a letter to each bank. We were debarred then from asking personally. Mayor : As to the unfairness stated by Councillor Black, I find it very necessary, if I,have to receive instructions from this Council, that they shall be ample and clear ; that there shall be.no misconstruction possible. In answer to the unfairness, I say I have acted strictly, consistently, logically, and fairly from the first. I defy any Councillor to prove the contrary. The answer of the banks referred to the thousand pounds only. The motion which the Council adopted on that may leave it open to different constructions. If you mean that the account is to be changed at once, I ask you to say so, and vote on it straight. Let the majority decide. I repel altogether the insinuation of unfairness, when I have acted strictly within the limits of the resolution. I must have instructions clearly conveyed to me, and then I can perform the duty. Councillor Black : In explanation, I as an individual would rather vote for the account to remain where it is, but I cannot support your motion. Mayor : That is not explanation. It is only an aggravation of the statement of unfairness.

Question put; and division taken on amendment for transferring account to bank of Australasia ; For transfer, Taplin, Milroy, Black, Gibson, and Dixon, 5. Against transfer, Aitchison, Howitt, Adams, Mahony, and Mayor, s—a tie. Mayor : I give my casting vote with the noes, and declare the amendment lost. The Mayor’s motion that the borough fund account remain at the bank of N.Z. was then put, and declared carried.