STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 May 1916, Page 3

STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) Stratford, Yesterday. The monthly meeting of t'he above Council was held to-day. Present: Crs. ilathaway (chairman). Smith, Anderson, Coleman, Were, Walter, Worthington, Baskin, Christoffel. A vote of thanks was passed to Denbigh Road settlers for assisting the Council in getting out stone and not charging royalty for same. It was decided to draw the attention of ratepayers that all carting 011 the county roads by bullocks 13 prohibited from May 1. The chairman reported that the Straker waggon had arrived at New Plymouth and would rea'-]' Stratford in a few days.

The resignation of IT. J. Jones, driver of the traction engine, was accepted. The chairman reported that after Cr. Smith's remarks at last meeting, referring to the fact that the motor garage built for the use of the Council's car was on the engineer's private property, he (the chairman) had inspected same, and in order to safeguard t'he Council lie had arranged for a lease of the land when.' the- garage is situated, and the entrance to it, at a peppercorn rent, and the document had bee# executed and was awaiting the Council's signature to it.

Cr. Walter said it vouhl not have been necessary to do this but for the remarks that had been passed at the Council table.

Cr. Smith said he believed he had voted for the site at the. time, but 'lie felt that the Council had made /a mistake. The suggestion of the chairman was the best way out of the difficulty. Cr. Baskin thought the Council should not employ men who ought to enlist. It Has not right that men should be in the Council's employ who ought to be at the front.

Cr. Christoffel quite agreed with Cr. Baskin. The Council should, as far as possible, refuse work to those who could go to the front.

Accounts amounting to £1783 were passed for payment,

correspondence. The Eltham County Council asked for information as to general alteration of boundaries desired by the Stratford County, Crs. Christoffel, Coleman, Smith, Anderson, and Hathaway, were appointed a committee to report to next meeting.

Roy Wells, Huiroa, asked the Council to make a grant of net less than £lO in order to put the tiark part of the Autawa Road- in order for stock traffic. — It was decided to give £ for £ subsidy up to £5.

Secretary, Postal Department, advised that the bond signed by the Council for the Turakawa teleph wo office had been cancelled, the period of 5 years which the Council guarantor! l having expired. I Secretary of .Stratford Hospital and Charitable Aid Board wrote the Council that the monthly payments to be made for contribution towards the Board's rands would b; £O7 8s lid. A. Lister applied tr, be paid for five days' wages, he having been laid up through an irmry to his eye while in the Council's employ.—Received. Oeo. C. Bain, Kahouri l-.crid, requested permission to remove earth from the roadside near his propelty in order to improve the entrance t.. his propertyGranted. J. Linn, Toko, as'.icd permission to erect a gate across the Ahiiroa Road at the back of his section.—Held over for a month. W. Gray, Toko, applied to erect telephone wires across {lie road at Toko.— Request granted, subject to engineer's satisfaction.

Over thirty ratepayer.--, residents of the Ngaere district petitioned the Council to use its best ei.riravors with the Railway Department to have the embankment adjacent to the railway crossing, opposite Mr. II C. Taylor's property on Mountain Road South, lowered or preferably removed Th>' embankment, it was stated, is a source of danger to

traffic comipg from the Xgaere side of the crossing, obstructing "the view of an approaching train. iThis particular crossing is where the unfortunate accident happened to Mr. Doig, of New Plymouth and for which the Department had to l.iy heavy damages.) It was decided to approach the Minister ot Railways on the matter. DEPUTATIONS. Mr. Takes waited on the Council, and oileiod to lease the reserve of nine acres at Waipuku He, however, pointed out that the place was overgrown with blackberries, and he o'id not want the Council to come along and put the blame of allowing them tj grow.—lt was decided to give Mr. Jakes a lease for £9 per annum. THE COUNTY ENGINEER. THE END OF A PERFECT DAY. Cr. Baskin moved, as per notice of motion, that the services of the engineer be dispensed with. He said the reason he moved in the Matter was that on looking through tii:; accounts he found,that one of the freemen had been paid for a day s work v in>:i the man was in Stratford, and he l'vvtioned the mattei at the Council table. Now, seeing that even the press di« not mention the matter, why did the engineer go out of his way to tell tlie foreman that it was he (Cr. Baskin) who had a set against him? The engineer had no right to say a word to the for.-inan, and on that account he was not fit to hold the position any longer.

Cr, Smith, in seconding, said he hoped the councillors would not think him discourteous. He quite agreed with Cr. Baskin. The ratepayers said, regarding Cr. Baskin, although he had his faults, he was straight. He was dissatisfied with the enginee", especially regaiding the West ridii;;:- It was time they came to some mutual agreement, but he did not wart Ihis friction at every Council meeting: (Hear! hear!) Criticism was not fault-finding. He had tried to do his best, for the ratepayers, and was prepared to abide bv their decision. If the Coum-il were to be a happy family, the ciffineer must be asked to put in his resignation.

The 'notion was immediately put, and ■on a division, was lost by 7 votes to 2. 1 Cr. Christoffel then moved: "That the engineer's salary be increased by £25." Tie said that all the charges that had been mentioned by the previous speakers were simply trivialities. He wanted the engineer to feel that the increase was a token of the confidence he was held in by the maority of the Council, and lie wanted the people outside Stratford to know that the engineer !>,id the respect and confidence of the Council. Cr. Anderson seconded the motion. Ci. Walter said that he knew a good man when he saw one,, and he felt sure the Council had in the tugineer a painstaking and conscientious/ man, who did his best to spend the ratepayers' money to the best advanta?e.

Cr. Smith said tint to give the engineer an increase in sslnry was an unpardonable sm—nay, a damnable sin—the action of these Councillors who voted for the increase would be remembered by the ratepayer... . Cr. Were said that ti.fc East riding lutepayors had to thank the engineer for the manner lie had carried out the work in that riding Cr. Ma skin said lie oppo.-ed the motion because the engineer lia-i not asked for an increase, and secondly, because he did not deserve it. It \va» all very well to. hear councillors say that he.. was very energetic and all that, but he liked peopie to talk sense. A Councillor: It wouM be better if you talked more sense! Ci>.. Coleman and Worthington also endorsed the good work done by the engineer. The chairman said Unl the increase was a vote of confidence to the engineer. No engineer cou'd please everybody. He held no bilef for the engineer who had given the greatest satisfaction, in fact, more than the Council deserved seeing the wav some of the councillors had treated him. The ratepayers had to thank Crs. Baskin and Smith for the increase

The motion was put. Mini carried on a division, by 7 to 2, Cr, Smith and Bas* kin voting "no." Cr. Walter said lir- vould like to say something, and would asK tins press to takfc note. In the past the Council had keen a happy fam.ly, and lie was out fo|* friendship and' 1,0 cheat the lawyers*, and ho asked the engineer if those Court proceeding that were about to commence between tiie engineer and Cr. Smith could not he held over'? Cr. Smith in using the .'-nrd incompetent would surely not «o '.nto Court and plead "privilege." Every Britisher "wanted fair play. He hoped the en* gincer would carefully consider the matter. Addressing ilr. Lopdell (em gineer), he said: "The vote just passed is better than any \evdict that any Court could give you, and I hope you will drop any proceedings for the sake of old friendships." Cr. Smith expressed his appreciation of Cr. Walter's effort to bring peace. He was not responsible for what appeared in the papers. One paper said the Council never took him seriously. If he did use the word "incompetent" he wouT3 withdraw it and apologise, and he hoped they would "bury the hatchet." (Ap- j plaiiae.) THE ENGINEER REPLIES. j T'he engineer said that out of courtesy to Cr. Walter and ti.e Council it was only right that he should make an explanation, and he expressed his pleasure at any attempt to bring about amicable relations with all the councillors. He ■had given the matter of Cr. Smith's remarks, made at a former meeting, great consideration, and felt that no selfrespecting man could take any other course than to consult his legal adviser; hut seeing that Cr. Smith had unreservedly' withdrawn his remarks, 'he would withdraw aU further proceedings. He thanked the Council for the increase voted him, and he assured them that he took it as a vote of confidence. He hoped their relations would be more amicable in the future. As far as he was concerned, the matter was ended. Cr. Baskin said his wish was that they should work in peace.