BOROUGH COUNCIL

Rotorua Morning Post, 1 March 1933, Page 6

BOROUGH COUNCIL

, SPECIAL MEETING /QUESTION OF EMPLOYMENT ON WHAKA DRAINAGE REVIVED LENGTHY DISCUSSION A special meeting of the Rotorua Borough Council which, lasted for over two hours last evening*, finalised the question as to whether a registered drainlayer fx*om Hamilton, should be employed upon the Wbakax*ewarewa | dx*ainage scherne in preference to local I men. j The meeting was called by the I Mayor and Crs. W. H. Wackrow and A. Smith to consider a notic'e of motion to rescinlT a resolution passed at the last meeting of th'e council that only local men shoukl be employed upon the work and also to consider an alternaitive x*esolution .that the engineex* be authorised to employ one qualified drainlayer and that for unskilled labour only local men be emP'loyed and that preference be givexx to married men. Cr. .Johnston opposed the motion ' and proposed several amendments which lapsed for want of a iseconder. After a lengthy discussion, the motion w,a,s put and carx'ied by four ito three, Cr. Mitchell not voting. He was instx*ucted to vote and then voted with the motion which was thus carried by five to three, Cx\ Keane having left befor© it was put. During the course of the discussion, both Cna Urquh'art and Johnston threatened to leave the council if the closure were applied but remained when they were promi'sed full discussion. A full report of the discussion will be published in a later issue.