Pandemonium at Election Meeting

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 648, 27 April 1929, Page 1

Pandemonium at Election Meeting

MT. ALBERT’S ENGINEER QUESTION OF DISMISSAL Stating that it was one of the principal reasons which brought him into the campaign, Mr. R. E. N. Matthews, a candidate for the Mayoralty of Mount Albert, at his opening address in the Jubilee Hail, Kingsland, last evening, said that, if returned, he would hold an inquiry into the dismissal of the former borough engineer, Mr. W. H. Cook, and make the facts of the case known to the public. Mr. Matthews dealt exhaustively with the trouble which culminated in the dismissal of the engineer, and made an impassioned appeal for an inquiry into the circumstances of the case. “When I left the council two years ago it was a most happy body,” said Mr. Matthews. “You can imagine my amazement, then, when I saw what was happening. Everything had been running so smoothly that I thought it was time to drop quietly out. The revenue was in a healthy condition. COOK AND CAESAR “To carry out the -comprehensive £750,000 loan scheme the council decided to employ a thoroughly qualified engineer, and after exhaustive consideration Mr. Cook had been chosen. “Mr. Cook was far and away the finest applicant,” said Mr. Matthews. “He came, like Caesar, he saw and he conquered. He conquered every one of us by his wonderful qualities. “We were at our busiest in Mount Albert then and every little thing had to be done by that man. He slogged from early morning till late at night. He worked 16 hours a day, and on Saturday afternoon and Sunday. BOMBSHELL FALLS “Then the new council comes in. A bombshell falls. The man is dismissed. Indignation meetings are held—but still silence from the council. “The explanation given was that he was over in a few of his estimates,” said the candidate. “It was the engineer’s duty to be on the safe side, and the Mayor and every councillor knew that as well as I do.” “AH we knew,” said Mr. Matthews, “was that the services of the engineer were dispensed with. No reason was forthcoming. Was he not to take it, then, that they (the Mayor and councillors) could not answer? QUESTION OF RELIGION "But the time of reckoning was here to-day. He was hoping that the Mayor and councillors would give their explanation. The speaker referred to rumours that had been circulated to the effect that questions of religion had been taken into consideration. Cr. Buckley (heatedly): It is a lie that religion entered into the consideration of the council. Another Councillor: I will endorse that, too. Mr. Matthews thereupon invited Cr. Buckley to take the platform and explain why Mr. Cook had been dismissed. Cr. Buckley rose in his seat and for some minutes tried in vain to get a word in between the hoots and jeers which greeted him. He was greeted with cries of “Get on to the platform or sit down again.” For some minutes pandemonium reigned. Making himself heard at last when the crowd had subsided at a plea of fair play from Mr. Matthews, Mr. Buckley said that Mr. Matthews had been misinformed on some subjects. Explanations followed, Mr. Matthews thanked Mr. Buckley for his remarks, and the storm passed over.