OPOTIKI STIR

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 569, 28 June 1933, Page 5

OPOTIKI STIR

(From Our Owri Correspondent.)

MAYOR DISREGARDED REFUSED TO ACCEPT. MOTION REGARDING WAGES ' . CUTS DEPUTY-MAY OR TAKES CHAIR

Opotiki, Last night. Th'e Opotiki Borough Council Chaniber presented a strange appearanee this evening when the general pubiic crowded the chamber to hear the fead_ ing of a petition prayirig th'at the council abandon- the proposal to r'educe the wiages of the staff . as has heen suggested. The petition was 'signed by 230 persons, 132 of whom are ratepayiers. It expresses the desire of the signatories to forgo a reduc-. tiori in rates rather than have the wages proposal carried into> effect. Cr. J. Maine, who presented th'e petition, asked the council to hear Mr. A. L. Arrowsmith speak on .the matter. The mayor gave his- permission, Cr. J. J. Moody objecting. Mr Arfowsmith's speech was repeatedly Interrupted by Crs. Moody, Shalfoon and Webb and firially Cr. Shalfoon said: "All right we will go on with the business." Cr. Sihort rose tb a poirit 'of orfier, asking if Cr. Shalfoon was cbntrollihg the meeting. The Mayor: He appears to he, as he is taking no notice of the chair. Cr. -Maine- read fhe names. of all the signatories attached to thb petition and final'ly it was received. For a time general business was dis_ cused but at seven minutes to ten o'clock Cr. Anderson asked- leave to put a kew motiOn dealing with reducfcions in wages. After the motion had been moved and seconded by Cr. Patterson, Cr. Short asked if it was in order, in view of th'e fact that a siriiilar motion was waiting to. be dealt with at a special meeting ori July 4. His Worship then rulied. that the notice of motion was out of order arid in reply to Cr. Shalfoon the mayor twice registered aoinrdlu taoin aoin twice reiterated that the motion wris out of order and Cr. Shalfoon reluctantly moved that the deprity-mayor, .Cr. J. J. Moody, take the ch'air. Tlhe mayor refused to accept the motiory that the deputy-mayor take the chair remarking that "it was after 10 o'dlock anyway." Acting against the anayor'is ruling, the deputy-mayor oc'cupied the chair and aceepted a motion by Cr. Shaifoon that the mjeeting he adjourned until 10 a,m. ori Wednesday. He also asked the Towri Clerk if he would record tlhe adjo-urnment in th& minutes but the clerk replied that he must accept the mayor's ruling. The deputy-mayor then asked Mr. G. P. Smith to take the minutes, but on being informed that this could ript be done, appointed Cr. Patterson to do so and announced that thle meeting would be adjourned- until 10 a.m/ on W ednesday.