The City Father's Explain.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2912, 31 May 1888, Page 2

The City Father's Explain.

At the Borough Council meeting on Tuesday evening when the report of the Works Committee had been read, Cr Hessey, a member of the Committee rose to make an explanation, He said he objected to work being undertaken on the sole responsibility of the Chairman of the Works Committee, Certain work had been done in Pienall-street by order of Cr Gapper without the sanction of his fellow committeemen. The cost of such work would be about £ls and the rest of the Committee were ignored in the matter and their r ; concurrence in the work undertaken 'jju, was not asked. His opinion was that the work referred to could te done at v a cost not exceeding £7. Large boulder stones had been promiscuously thrown into the middle of the road and left there unbroken, and when he had spoken about it Cr Gapper had 'jumped down his throat."

Or Gapper in reply said he conferred vith the Borough overseer and tkjk found the stuff requiring to be tafP from the sides of the road would be the best for throwing into the centre of the roads for blinding the metal. No large stones had been thrown into the middle of the road. In respect to "jumping down Cr Hessey's throat, it had been vice wsa. He was always! in favoi' of all the Committee being present when there was work to be done. He had no desire to be Chairman or even a member of the Works Committee, and was perfectly willing to resign at once,

■ Cr Hessey still persisted that the - large stones were thrown into the# middle of tbe road, and that in Or -' (tapper's presence Cr Gapper said the stones referred to had been gathered in little heaps and placed in the water tables. Instead of having them gone over with the napping hammer he had ordered them to be thro wn over the fence just inside the paddock. After some further dimsion the matter dropped.

A LARGE TIMBER ORDER. With respect to the order for 6000 and odd feet of timber sanctioned by the Works Committee

Or Gapper explained that it was usual for the overseer to hand in a list of timber required to the Town Clerk and he issued an order for it to be delivered, The Town Clerk could explain the usual method, In the present instance the list of timber required by the foreman had come' betore the Committee and they had sanctioned its being ordered, the foreman stating they had none on hand, and the present was a good time to give , an order. The timber ordered woulSh last them 12 months. v

Cr Cullen moved that only half the order be given. He did not see what reason there was for ordering such a stock in, Or Macara was of opinion that it was not advisable for such a largo quantity of timber to be left lying Ule at the yards. They were alrefß sufficiently overdrawn at the bank. Cr Heron would like to know upon what grounds Cr Cullen would have the Council give an order for 3000 odd feet of timber. Cr Cullen said upon the same prin-' ciple that the Committee had ordered double the amount. , Cr Gapper asked that the Town Clerk should explain the usual method of dealing with orders for timber. The Town Clerk said that when the overseer required any timber he came to him, and he sent the order to the contractor for the time being who supplied timber to the Council, His action was afterwards submitted to the Committee for confirmation. In the present instance, however, the order being such a large one he had not felji justified in taking upon himself tljfp responsibility of giving tho order and it had therefore been laid before the Works Committee, 'w Cr Gapper said the order had couie before the Committee, and Crs Elkins and Chamberlain were present at the time, and the order had been approved, It was only sent subject to the con6rmation of tho Council. The Mayor said none of the Works Committee appeared to know anything about the order, nor what it was required for. It would be better to get further information. On the motion of Cr Parsons, that part of the report was referred back to the _ Works Committee for further particulars, M.M.F.B,

Cr Gapper objected to that part of the report of the Fire Brigade Committee having reference to him. It was there stated by Captain Barker that none of the firemen had spoken to him on the subject of lowering the the station house. In course of sR'versation with Mr Hoar, the engine keeper, the latter had said to him that it would be money thrown away to i make the alterations suggested, Km placing the engine where the reel wa? kept there would be no necessity for the alteration. Or Cullen said that he W Cajitai^

Batker's authority for-snying that th e engine-keeper, Mr Hoar, flatly contra dieted having spoken to Cr Gapper on tho subject. Why, he asked, should Cr (®fc)er, who was not even a member wrtlic Eire Brigade Committee, put himself out of the way to interview any j of the firemen on tlu subject. After some further discussion, the report was adopted. The Mayor look the opportunity to remark that the practice of introducing matters of n personal nature was objectionable. Questions of such a naturo should be ventilated in Committee and then dropped,