OTAHUHU

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 322, 30 October 1917, Page 1

OTAHUHU

OTAHUHU MAGISTRATE'S COURT. THURSDAY, 25th OCTOBER. (Before Mr F. Y. Fraser, S M.) A statutory first offender was fined 10s with 7s costs, on a charge of being found drunk while in charge of a horse. Edward Thomas Roberts, who did n( t appear, was fined £2 with 7s costs, for a breach of his prohibition order. Judgment by default was entered for the respective plaintiffs in the civil cases of John Hall v. James Kidd, engineer, Te Papapa, for £5 3s Bd, with 8s costs ; H. Masters v. W. Mason, Papatoetoe, for £2 17s -Id, with 12s costs; and H. R. Brindle v. H Fleming, labourer, Panmure, for £2 2s Id, with 5s costs A number of other civil claims were paid into Court or confessed. BOWLING TOURNAMENT

Labour Pay, despite the not too favourable weather, was celebrated in Otahuhu by several social gatherings and the opportunity was afforded to many of the residents to pass an enjoyable day. The Bowling Club's 10 rink tournament ended in Messrs McMillen and McMillen winners in A section being placed against Messrs McFadden and Sturges, winners of B section, for the final of 21 heads, to be contested on Saturday next, :3rd November. The scores for the day were as follows: —A Section, Ist round: McMillen'and McMillen 14 v llarper and Campbell 10, Fearnley and Baker 14 v Brown and Bailey G, Fraser and Kevanagh 12 v Cook and Kemplay 8. Second Round : Harper and Campbell 16 v Fraser and Kevanagh 8, McMillen and McMillen 10 v Fearnlev and Baker 7, Brown and B>iilev 12 v Cook and Kemplay 8. Third Round : Harper and Campbell 14 v Brown and Bailey 7, McMillen and McMillen 1G v Cook and Kemplay 10, Fearnley and Baker 11 v Fraser and Kevanagh 11. Fourth Round : Fearnloy and Baker 12 v Harper and Campbell 0, McMillen and McMillen 10 v Fraser and Kevanagh 1), Brown and Bailey 10 v Cook and Kemplay G. Fifth Round : Harper and Campbell 9 v Cook and Kemplay 8, McMillen and McMillen 12 v Brown and Bailey 5, Fearnley and Baker H> v Fraser and Kavanagh G. Winners A Section: McMillen and McMillen.

B Section Ist round: McFadden ami Sturges 1 1 v Carson and Wliitmore 10, Spencer and De'Atli 12, v and St George 11, Todd and L'lmnpson 13 v George and Henry 12. Second Kound: McFadden and Sturgos 15 v Goorge and Henry 1:5, Carson and Whitmoro 10 v May and St. George 9, Todd and lhompson 13 v Spencer and De'Atli 12 - Third Round : McFadden and. Sturges 10 v Spencer and DVAtli 10, Todd and Thompson 11 v Carson and Wliitmore 8, George and Henry 12 v May and St Goorge (J Fourth Round: McFadden and Sturges 10 v May and St George •">, George and Henry 10 v Carson and Wliitmore 8, Told and Thompson 12 v May and St Goorge (i Fifth Round : McFadden and Sturges 14 v Todd and Thompson 10, Carson and Wliitmore 12 v Spencer and De'Atli i, George and Henry 11 v May and St George 0. Winners of 15 Section ; Mchadden and Sturges. Four visiting teams were present representing West End and Papatoetoo C.uhs. I'he lawn was in splendid order, due to the Green Superintendent Mr Harper. Through out the day the playing was very keen and the cluh was well satislied with the day's recreation.

CR FIELD'S RESIGNATION We have received from Cr Field for publication a copy of the lettei sent by him lo the Borough Council concerning the matter of Woolley's footpath, which has led to his resignation as a member of the Council. The letter, which was read at last Thursday's Council meeting and was doferred for consideration until a special meeting of the Council to be held in committee to-morrow (Wednesday'), is as follows : Water Street, Otahuhu, 18thOct., I'd 17 The Town Clerk, Otahuhu, Sir—"l have to acknowledge receipt of your letterof the 13th instant, asking me to reconsider my resignation from the Borough Council. " My decision in this matter was not hastily made. The only tiling which tended at all to deter me was consideration of the expense entailed in an election. "The Council, I fear, does not fully realise the position in which 1 am placed. Let me britfly explain it from my point of view. "The Council and Mr Woolley found faults in the Water street footpath work, as carried out (or partly carried out). The Council directed the Foreman to exidaui. " The Foreman's repost gave no satisfactory explanation lelative t-> to the Council's several < unplnints, Mr Woolley's giiovance the urns uion to do the worst part of the length) being not even iiieurioncd. " The outstanding lVawtiv ol jie report was a charge, vague but serious, of dishonourable conduct against myself, a Councillor. " The Council, upon the mere assumption had improperly

interfered with the Foreman's work, overlooked the latter's evident deriliction of duty and adopted the report, thereby pronouncing me guilty of dishonourable conduct. " When I sought at last meeting of the Council to rescind that adoption, in order that the report might be otherwise dealt with, the Foreman stated that he had neither received nor followed any instructions from me, and, moreovor, that the work as done by him (contrary to the Council's orders) had been already lined out and started by him before he saw me. " Believing that such conclusive proof assured the carrying of my motion, I refrained from pressing more personal matters, which manifestly could neither have affected the Council's instructions, nor hindered the completion of the work on the 11th of July in accordance with the Council's orders.

" To my utter astonishment my motion was lost, and my position was thus made worse than before, the Council having now confitmed its decision as to my guilt. " Knowing myself to bo innocent of the charge, I simply cannot continue in office with that judgment standing against me. If, on the other hand, the Council's decision had been correct, then wore 1 a shameless liar, unfit for any public position, and the only motive the Council can very well have in wish ing me to retain ray seat is the avoidance of the cost of an extraordinary election.

"I would point out, however, that in matters of fact there remained two remarkable discrepancies between the Foreman's statements and my own : (H The Foreman persistently stated that he was forced to metal the filling 1 had made because I had removed the f-olit' bank from the outer side of the old ditch, whereas I denied that I had removed any soil from the outside of the ditch. v 2) The- Foreman stonily maintained that he had staitfd his work by mniking off the footpath with a width of 3ft Gin and had never altered hat width, whereas I declared that he had .started with a width of 3ft and had afterwards shifted h'.s lino and increased the width to 3ft Gin when I showed him that the Council had ordered a width of Ift.

No disparity in these statements can lie atribute 1 to misunderstanding or forgetfulness, and fortunately corroborative evidence is available in both cases. In reference to the first I enclose herewith a letter from numbers of Mr Woolley's family ■Mr Woolley himself being away). In reference to the second case, 1 now pu„ in a statement from tlu> two borough workman wlio assisted the Foremen with the woik ( n the lltli of July. ' * Tlio.so enclosures throw additional up m the unpleasant all iir."- I am , yours faithfully, FitKl>K I{. FIKLI). The following enclosures accompanied Cr Field's letter: - Water Street, Otahuhu, ISth Oct., 1917. The Clerk, Otahuhu Borough Council, Sir,—Having hearl that Mr Field, when making the tilling for the footpa'h near « ur house, removed soil from the outside of the ditch, we wish to contradict that statement. All the soil used for tilling the ditch was taken from Mr Field's side of it. And the grass covered solid ground immediately upon the outside of the ditch was not disturbed by anybody up till tho time that the borough workmen came to nnkethe fcotpath. We are, Sir, yours faithfully,—

(Signed) Mrs Wooi.i.ey and Miss Wooi.lkv and ]{ku. Woolley. Otahuhu, 17th Oct., I'JIT. Mr C. Wooding, Church Street, Sir, I shall bo obliged if you will tell me if the following statement re Woolley's footpath is correct 1. You anil Messrs Kemplay and Avers had started the work on the 11 tti of July (or about that date) before I spoke to any of you? ■J You had lined out the footpath and started it closo alongside my boundary, wiih a with of oft 'i o. 1 came along and talked to Mr Keniplay ; went away again and came a second time, whereupon you altered the line and increased the width to oft. (iiu, apparently at my instigation 4. JSo far as you know I made no attempt to interfere with the work, unless in tho manner above stated. Yours faithfully, Ki;i;uk. ii. Fiki.h. lioply. —1 ho above statement is quite correct. (signed), CitAlti.KS W'oolMNo and 10. Avi us.

Tlxo Presbyterian Hible Class, vv hu ll lins grown in strength l'ltely, hold a combined rally on Labour 1 lay. During tho morning a meeting was liolil, presided over by Mr Siowait, after which sports wore held in Pilkmgton's paddock and the schoid grounds. Luncheon and tea wore |iai lakoii oi under tho tree s, .tiHi jHMMDiis being present dining th" aiternonn Mr J'liomas K. Koihwill. vet. surgeon, uln * li.i" only recently 10 turned to Otahuhn, has again been called away to tho Wailoito on profeHsional business and will probably be away again for two or three months.