"SINGLED OUT"

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 242, 2 June 1932, Page 5

"SINGLED OUT"

mr. tschopp and cut XMAS HOLIDAYS AND OLD AGE PENSION MOOTED COUNCIL ENJOYS ITSELF "I see no reason why this man should be singled out and I am right ! up against tfhe exemption of Mr. Tschopp. Our own workmen have hhd to he cut and I do not think that this recommendation should 1 be affirmed;" said Cr. E. T. Johnston at last evening's meeting of the Rotorua Borough Council "when protesting against a recommendation from the Reserves Committee , Jthat Mr. Fi Tschopp, the landscape architect at present employe'd by . the ' council, should be exempted from. the application of the- council's 10"per cent. salary and wages reduction. " 4 The recommendation read : "That in view of the fact that Mr. Tschoflp's engagement will probably be of short duration, and as he was engaged at a definite fixed salary, the 10 per cent. reduction be not applicable to his salary. If it is' considered advisable to continue Mr. Tschopp's engagement after September 30, the qUestion of his salary should then be reconsidered." '• • • The matter was discussed at some length at the previous meeting of th'e council, when the question of exempting Mr. Tschopp from the cut whs referred back to the committee.After a further discussion from which various councillors obviously derived some entertainment, the final section of the clause referring to Mr Tschopp's possible engagement after September, was deleted. A inotioh that the whole of the clause be deleted, was moved by Cr. Johnston but was not put. An Implication "I am not gqing to be a party to keeping this man until September. Why, that ' is four months away. There is an implication here that we intend to keep -him until Septebiber:II e will have to go before thefi," said Cr. G. Urquhart. Cr. Johnston: He will soon be getting the old age pension. : •' Cr. Urquhart said that he would not on any account agree to the implication that Mr. Tschopp was to be retained after September, or even until tbat date. He moved that the second portion of the clause referring , to Mr. Tschopp's engagement after September should be deleted. The Mayor said that he estimated that four months would be the period required for Mr. Tschopp t'o carry out the work on which he would be engaged. Cr. Urquhart: Well some of us esti- , mate otherwise, sir. Cr. O. H . Coleman said that if Cr. Urquhart's amendment was carried, it would not alter the posit'ion. Mr. Tschopp's services could be dispensed witb at a month'js notice. The deletion of the final part of the clause would not alter this fact. He reiterated his opinion that the coUn"il would be breaking faith with Mr Tschopp by 'subjecting him to the cut, in view of the- fact that he had been engaged in a temporary capacity at a definite figure. "Christmas Holidays" Cr. Johnston inquired whether there was anything in the clause about Mr. Tschopp's Christmas holidays, but was told that was becomi'ng facetious. Cr. Coleman remarked that "if by any chance" Mr| Tschopp remai'fied after September, he would then be subj ected to the cut. " Cr. Urquhart immediately said that if the words "if by any chance" were inserted in the clause, he would be perfectly agreeable to it. His Woxship said tbat tliis was only a quibble "arid Cr. Urquhart smilingly admitted "the fact. The council was by this time thoroughly enjoying itself, and when Cr Urquhart's amendment was final'ly put, there was an enthusiastic chorus of "Ayes." His Worshfp supplied a quiet "No" and then put the amendment as the motion. The discussion came to a suitable conclusion when Cr. Johnston rose to move his motion for the deletion of the whole clause and found that as he had voted for the amendment, he was excluded from doing so.