BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 October 1915, Page 7

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

CHAIRMAN OF WORKS COMMITTEE. CR. SMITH CRITICISED. A special meeting of the Works Committee of the New Plymouth Borough Council was held yesterday morning for the purpose of appointing a chairman in place of Cr. S. J. Smith, who has resigned. The Deputy-Mayor (Mr. W. A. Collis) presided over a full attendance. The chairman said there were many questions which came up from time to time on which it waa necessaiy to con* suit the chairman of the Works Committee, and it was necessary to fill the position temporarily until the election was held. Cr. Burgess: The position need not necessarily be temporary. The chairman: That is for the Council to decide. Cr. Mannix proposed that the DeputyMayor should be appointed and Cr. Burgess seconded. The chairman thought that as the road works and the tramways went together Cr. Burgess, being chairman of the Tramway Committee, should also he chairman of, the Works Committee. He moved that Cr. Burgess should be appointed. Cr. Byrgess said that Cr. Smith had put the Council in a very awkward position and had thrown work upon the Council which lie had started. Just at the very time when the Council wanted Cr. Smith most they had not got him. Cr. Watkins seconded the motion that Cr. Burgess should be appointed. The chairman agreed that there was no necessity for Cr. Smith to have resigned, and he had placed the Council in an unfair position. After some further discussion the nomination of the chairman was withdrawn, and Cr. Burgess was appointed, on the understanding that he would hold the position until after the election.