MASTERTON GAS WORKS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4800, 15 August 1894, Page 2

MASTERTON GAS WORKS.

The Appointment of Manager, -- 31 At the <reguhsr meeting;.of .tlid ilastorton ./Botough Council last evening, all tlib members bomg prosent,, tho Oommitteo appointed to consider tlio application for Gas * Manager, roported that three had been selected, for the Council choose from, out.of. the foui'teeff received. ... r . : The report was adopted; . Tlio.Mayor stated-that the majority of members of the Committee had q. beon in favour of |electing.MivCol- V liiis, wi? hot' supporting the re-appointment of Mr!».fiobins6n, and others selecting aiiothoi'. candidate. /This- was tlio • nmfpii- 'Kid bton finally submitted to the full-Council. Ho would now nioro that. Mr '.Collins bo appointed. b Or Ciillen seconded tlio' motion, GrPe'riy moved that Mr Robinson be re-appoiritediflasManager.->■ ~Cr. Horublow seconded .thpmotion, and in doing so said he a certain principle and that wnsjifj a maii fell onco givo him a second chance,,aiid tlijn yet another,- but lie fell naaiii a'thiiVl tiintf, gk rid of him, Tlio matter. of the • appointment: was'asenojis {one.', also of opinion that other applicants tliiin Mr Collins: had been thrown , out, and their testimonials were as good and if not better than his. Or HornblpiY.then read a; number' of testimonials to prove his ooi)tori« tiqn,aud , also ; to show the high qualifications of Mr Hobinson. Ho then went on to allude to the

influential ..petitfoii ,611 Mr Robinson's behalf ? more tljan half of the total nunibei' 'of gas-corisiimei's in tlie Borough signing it.,' What ho would suggest would ho tlmt Mr, Robinson bo placed in his'old position during t-lio Council's pleasure. As a private individual lie, (Cv Hornblow) .had interviewed' Mr ;Birclij jif'Wciling- •. ton, who expressed the opinion that Mr Robinson: was one.of tho most capable men at his business in tho Australasian colonies, ijud should strongly recommend the Council, if asked his,opinion, .to, sanction Mr Robinson's re-apjpoihtino'nt.' He thought if Mr Robinson was ro-in-stated' the Council would not regret tl|o stop, fl.e w.ould add that lie had riot spoken to Mi' Robinson qrljoen asked by him to speak in his interest, but ho thought it would bo tho best course to ,takq to give him 'anbther trial.

Cr Feist said tho present was'a time which unfortunately arose in all Councils, when Councillors would prefer to give a silent vote, buUie-wns aware that the iconduct of 'Councillors was being closely watched in' this matter, by the ratepayers, and lie therefore felt it his duty; to speak out, A In tlie face of thb damaging ' report of tlio export, lie considered that the Council was hqund tq foUqw up tholipeof action taken, und he shq'uidthcrefqre sup-, port the Mayor's lnbtiqn, He was mviu'fl tliat the work at the Gfjs Works .'had improved during,tho Inst two months,' as stated in tlie petition;-received at lastmeeting. He could : - riot, 'liowever, ngrde that Mr Robinson lmd .becn ; injured;in,tlio Boiough employ,, The question was a serious 'one, hilt, as he had.before remarked,'although lie should preferred to have yoted silently, as Chairman of tlio Gas Committco ho felt called upon to speak out, and to take the stand he did. Cr Dixonsupported the re-appoint-ment of Mr Robinson. Ho. thought another trial should be given ■ him, especially considering the influential petition aiuj tlio fact ' qf tl|o man's wife and family. Dismissal would be practical riuu. A man of Mr Robinson's capabilities was riot picked up overj day and lie would appeal to the Council to oonsidor tho fact that tho iijftii was getting on inyonrs, No great harm wqulij be done to tho ratepayers by tlio re-apjipintinoqt hp thought, and in his opinion the. ex* port's report was not so very damaging; Cr Cullen said'he could not take up any other position than to opposo tlie re-instatoment of tho manager. Personally he felt vory sorry for his wife and family and for Mr Robinson himself, but lie was certainly of opinion that lio must do his duty to the ratepayers, ,Ho must leave sentiment out and vote with the Mayor, Tho Mayor said as a Council they had the ratepayers interests to look after. It Was all'very wejl being sony, but tlmt was not business. Any man who had sceli tho retorts or other things in tho past mustad-, mit tlmt there liad been mismanagement,'and kno,wing, what ho did ho could not couscienciously voto for Mr Robinson's re-appointment Tho amendment that Mr Robinson be re-appointed was put to the meeting, Ci-sHoi'ijblqw, Ijixon'antl Pm:y ,oi(ly yjjthig fqr it,' '• Tjit} njotioiufhat Mr Gojliris,' qf Caversham, po ifppqiiftqd, wi}s tlioij put andcamqcj. ' The -Clerk was instructed to ai'range with Mi: Robinson to carry.qii the Gasworks pro Or Dixon moved that a periodica} report on the Mastorton Gas-Works be given by an export, Councillors could not bq expected to bo gas experts, and a periodical report was very necessary, Cr Hornblow seconded the motion. In doing so ho spoke,heatedly and at some length, blaming-tlio members of the Gas Committeo for being negligent' in tllorciuties, and in not visiting the . Works moro often. Councillors came to tho meeting and did not know what they wero doing or how they were going to vote. He spoke a littlo strongly but, honestly. Cr Yates laughed, Wel'iCi'Tatcs had visited the Works about three times since his appoint; tj) f.lie (|as Committee. |f m.on lycro not prepared tatocrifjcflajittie tin|o and attend prapß-lv to their duties, they were unfit tq hold the positions they qceupiedj apd the sooijer they were replaced on the Cflqndi! beiiclies .the bgtter, He .w'us spiiiikiiig plainly whether he plpased or offended, ; . The Mayor remarked .that, Cr Hornblow. was a now broom, and they 'knew that now brooms were supposed to sweep clean, and having at present no. fixe,ij occupation, Ci' Hornblquv liad loti.of time to look about him. ' ! i . Cr..Hornblow, retorted,\tliat. ho | thought it would ,be better, for tho

ratepayers if IJw;q ij'M'O, a jot.of new brooms'imported*' into' tlie ■■'(JonnoiT, Borne of theold ones were about worn onti- t YIYeMaW: "Hear,"Heap;") Gr Feist saiQit'soemed'to' interest bis " honorable friend .oh'the other side" tp tlirow out all sorts of asser"pons and insinuations, but homain-, tainetl. that be (Or Feist) had

always done liis duty, ami |>o wiijj quitoSvilling* to leave tliafciiiatter'to the' mtepayers ; to de'eido. "j iIM ' Ci ,J Yates : the siiinb opinion. He wouldat the same tiriio point out to Or Hornblow that he did not live down by the Gas Works

4*.' ;v. : 7 ,' Bo that ho' could always bo running in mid put,.: , . Cr Chamborlain said Cr HornWow had referred to' the names on ■ tho book at the Gas Houso. Ho had visited tho Works dozens of times and had not entered his name on tho 'book; so that tho ontrios woro nothing to go by, Regarding tho bad work: in tho construction, a com—i. potent ongineor had superintended and tho whole thing took "placo before tho Counoil know much about gas. Tho Mayor said they were beginning to know all about it now, Speaking to the motion, it appeared to him that while Or Horublow's motion was sensible on the face of it, it appeared after his remarks, to be morely tho* outcome of soreness because he had been defeated. Ho should therefore vote against the motion. Cr Hessey said in fairness to Cr Hornblow lie must say that the subject had been mentioned in the afternoon by Cr Hornblow. At any rate they ought to feoleoiilidontnow thirtyycrything must go right, becaiOTioy had Cr Hornblow in their midst, who would look after everything. Cr Cullen thought the matter might be very well postponed. Cr Dixon said he had brought up the mattera fortnight ago after tho adjournment, and bethought a periodical inspection of the Gas Works should be made, no matter who was appointed Manager. As he saw 110 clrnnco of tlio Council taking «]> l»« motion at present, ho would therefore withdraw it..

Tho matter then dropped, and other business was taken.