THE BOROUGH BY-LAWS

Taihape Daily Times, 21 September 1918, Page 4

THE BOROUGH BY-LAWS

A BREEZE IN THE COUNCIL.

At the Borough Council meeting last night a letter was received from the Borough Solicitor stating he had gonevery carefully into the matter of By-laws and compared the old with the now finding (hat they overlapped considerably. He pointed out the desirability of the whole of the by-laws being revised and drafted in accordance with law. Mr Joblin said it was desirable from the urgency of the master that something should at once be done with regard to having a proper set of by-laws for .the borough. The question had beeij| before ,'the Council nk>w for nearly two years, and nothing had been done so-far.

The Mayor said he could hardly understand Cr Joblin's plea of urgency in the matter considering Cr. Joblin had the draft of the by-laws in his: possession nearly twelve months for perusual. Cr # Joblin said the Mayor's statement may be very funny, but it was not true.

The Mayor: I ask Cr'. Joblin to withdraw his statement.

Cr. Joblin. Withdraw what? Do you Tefer to the statement that I have haa them in my posession for twelve months ? That is not true. The Mayor (emphatically): I must ask Cr. Joblin to withdraw his remark that I have made a statement" that is not true. His remark is disrespectful to the chair I occupy, and I insist on that statement being withdrawn

Cr. Joblin: Very well, sir, I will"

withdraw it

After this little interlude, during which the air became somewhat eleetriediscussioh on the by-laws was resumed

The Mayor said it was a great mistake to go in for patchwork. What the Council wanted was an absolutely new set of by-laws. The estimates had, on being framed, not allowed for cost of by-laws for this year. The cost would probably be £l5O at least.

Cr Champion said it was a p«uliar position to be in to have obsolete, bylaws for two or three years. Something should be done in the matter;.; The Mayor said the Health Department had submitted by-laws but there was too much lattit,ude allowed > in them.

Cr. Keid stated that he knew of a number of cases in the Main Street that, had not been connected up with, the sanitary drainage system.- . ■'_.' IT i

Cr. Joblin moved: That the time has arrived when a new schedule of tary by-laws be drafted and adopted and that steps be taken to. secure.thisend<

The Mayor proposed as an amendment that the whole of the bylaws "be revised and that a sum be. placed oa the estimates next year for this purpose. .He stated they must be careful how. far they bound incoming.. Council. '

The amendment was put to the meeting and the voting being even, was lost on the casting vote of the

Mayor

The motion was then put to the meeting, and the voting again being even, the Mayor gave his casting vote against the motion, which was therefore lost and the position remained as before. • -'. •

A general discussion then took place on the question. *

Cr. Eeid moved: That it be an instruction to the Borough Solicitor to revise the and other bylaws and. have them drawn up for use

in coming financial year. This was carried without division.

Just before the Council adjourned Cr. Joblin referred to the passage v at arms between the Mayor and himself, stating that if he had said anything, he should not have said he was sorryHe had no intention of .reflecting on. Mr Arrowsmith cither as mayor or townsman. If he had done so he regretted it. •*"■

The Mayor said he accepted Cr Joblin's apology in th<f spirit in which it had been tendered, and congratulated him on his manhood in making it. He did not care what was said about himself personally. He hoped to hand over the mayoral chair in the same manner in which he had received it and had endeavoured to maintain it. It was for the dignity , of the chair, and not from personal feeling he had acted.

The air was now cleared and the incident closed.