UNRULY COUNCILLORS.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 315, 21 November 1929, Page 1

UNRULY COUNCILLORS.

CALLED TO ORDER. Wairakau Bridge Piles. Some Warm Exhanges. While matters relating to the ridings were being discussed at Monday’s meeting of the Piako County Council, Cr. F. W. Walters introduced a topic that has been productive of heated debate in the past when he asked the engineer, Mr. B. H. Horner, whether the Wairakau bridge piles had been approved by the Public Works Department. The engineer replied in the negative.

Cr. Walters: Then they should never have been moved from the site. The engineer: That, is quite wrong. The formation at Wairakau is not suitable, being a conglomerate of rock and other material. The piles could be driven easily at Bailey’s bridge, where I used them.

Cr. Walters: You should have told us that before. >

The engineer: If plans incorporating the use of these piles were made

The chairman: This is getting beyond the limit. We are discussing riding matters. Mr. Horner has been over all this ground before. Cr. Magill: It was known before Mr. Horner came to the council that the piles were not up to Government specifications. Cr. Kennedy rose to his feet to dispute this. The chairman: You are quite out of order. We are on riding matters. Cr. Kennedy: This is a riding matter. Cr. Walters brought it up as it affected his riding. I am going to say that those piles were not turned down by the Public Works Department. It is unfair to the man that built them to say they were not fit for the job. Everything * that has cropped up has been broadcast to the' detriment of Mr. Gibbs. ,1

Cr. Walters: I just wanted to find out a few facts. Cr. Kennedy: For what reason ? The chairman: Order! Order! We cannot go over all this again. Cr. Walters asked a question and Mr. Homer has answered it. At this stage the discussion grew difficult to follow, as Crs. Walters and Kennedy were both speaking at the same time. The chairman: Have any , other councillors any riding matters to bring up? Ignoring the hint, Cr. Walters said he was quite satisfied with Mr. Horner’s explanation. Cr. McLean: Why drive it any further? Cr. Walters: There is nothing wrong with the piles. It would have been better had Mr. Homer admitted at the start that the piles had never been turned down by the Public Works Department. Mr. Horner: I stand to what I say.

The chairman, who had been vainly endeavouring to check the crosstable exchanges, at length pounded his bell and diverted discussion to other channels.