COUNCIL DISPUTE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 518, 22 November 1928, Page 14

COUNCIL DISPUTE

CALL FOR RESIGNATIONS AT TAKAPUNA A COUNCILLOR’S CONSCIENCE The resignations of Councillors Close, Gould, Malcolm and Hayden were demanded by Cr. J. Guiniven, at last evening’s meeting of the Takapuna Borough Council, following a heated attack by Cr. Guiniven upon the works committee, and its part in the arrangements made for sanitary inspections in the borough. As two fully-qualified sanitary inspectors had joined and left the council’s service within four months, the works committee had, some weeks ago, adopted a proposal to appoint a local resident, conditional upon his qualifying at the Royal Sanitary Institute examinations to be held next month. The Health Department then intervened, agreeing to do the borough sanitary ' inspections for a charge of £l2 a month, until such time as the local man was qualified to act. Cr. Guiniven tabled a letter he had received from Dr. Chesson, in which the writer stated he would insist upon the charge of £l2 a month. The health officer expressed his inability to understand why the last vacancy was not advertised in order that qualified men could have applied. Dr. Chesson further stated that he was entirely at a loss to understand the council’s policy in cutting down the proffered salary to such an extent that the last two men had, at the first available opportunity, gone to districts where their services were adequately remunerated. Cr. Guiniven said that the existing arrangement meant that in addition to the present appointee’s salary, the borough was compelled to pay a further £3 a week. This position was entirely due to the work committee’s lack of foresight. He moved that the members responsible be called upon personally to pay this extra charge and, further, that they be asked to resign from the council. The motion was negatived, whereupon Cr. Guiniven observed that it was what he had expected, but he had done his duty to his conscience.