COUNTY COUNCILLORS CRITICISE STAFF.

Shannon News, 12 October 1926, Page 3

COUNTY COUNCILLORS CRITICISE STAFF.

■ "NO FOOTBALL DURING LUNCH HOURS. "RIDICULOUS" SAYS THE CHAIRMAN. ■ | The HoroAvhenua County Council, under the chairmanship of Mr G. A. Monk, by Cr. Jenson, seconded by Cr. Catley: on Saturday, discussed a motion moved "That no employee of the Council shall be allowed to play football or any other games during Avorking hours or the time for lunch." In speaking to the motion, Cr Jensen said it arose from complaints, that were lodged by certain ratepayers. There Avas no necessity to go into do-/ tails of the complaints but he felt that ' J that there Avere some games going on one of them was proved and that Avas during working hours. If it Avas not during Avorking hours it Avas certainly at lunch time, and it Avas encouraged by some of their men. He had no objection to the men keeping in practice after 5 o'clock. If a man did a day's work he could find plenty of scope for his muscles in doing it. ' The lunch hours should be used for recreation. The Chairman: I can only support that If you strike out all the Avords after the Avord "hours." We are not dealing with a lot of school children and a man's lunch hour is his own. We have no right to dictate what he shall do Avith it. He has as much right to play football in it as to play billiards. I am in sympathy with the other part but you make the Avhole motion ridiculous by iceeping those Avords in.

Cr Jensen: The motion Avould be ridiculous Avithout those words. Here Ave have hundreds of men and the men play football in the lunch hour and the complaint was that it Avas abused and play-, ed in working hours. We haA*e this control that Ave can refuse them that privilege of playing in the lunch hour by dismissing those'Avho do. That is our only remedy if the men insist on being their oavh bosses in all they do. If an accident should happen in the lunch hour it would happen during Working hours.

Cr Catb-y agreed that the reference to lunch hour Avas not necessary and he had already draAvn Cr Jensen's attention to it. The Chairman: W Avill make ourselves look as ridiculous as it is possi-. ble for a local body to look. J n-various parts of the world large employers of labour put doAvn tennis courts and cricket pitches so that their men can obtain recreation during lunch time. They encourage that. You may not encourage it but you have no right to say that a person shall not kick a football about. I cannot be a party to that.

• Cr McLeavey: That is cutting it a bit too fine. He seconded the chairman 's amendmeut. Cr Jensen said the Chairman was not playing the game. The tennis courts were for men engaged as clerk's and not in navA 7 ying Avork. Cr Barber: I know one flax mill where the oAvners have put doAvn a tennis court.

The Chairman: I can draw Cr. Jensen's attention to several places Avhere it is all physical labour.

The Chairman's'amendment to leave out the reference to lunch hour was then carried and the motion as amended passed. ,