MASTERTON GAS WORKS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4859, 24 October 1894, Page 2

MASTERTON GAS WORKS.

The Manager and the Council,

The following letter from Mr Collins, Manager at the Mastoton Gas Workß, was received last* eveningi-

" To His Woßsmr the Mayoh and WENTIEMEX OF IHB CoUKCU ;~I W to put before you a few words in referencc to Cr Feist's amendment and the Gas Committee's report at the last Connoil meeting. I am sorry to have to travel over the same ground again, but on this occasion lam obliged to. On Monday October Blh, I put heforo the Gas Commiltcearoport,in which I asked to have full power to discharge any man, who did not do Ids work satisfacloiily. I'liiii was approved by every member ofTSjSI the Committee, and to my great surprise what do I see on the following night, but that tho Chairman (Cr Feist) moves an amendment and Cr Cullcn seconds it; two men from the Ycry Committee called a "Gas Committee." To do a thing like that in twenty-four hours would make a fool of any man or manager, and I am not going to fall in with tho amendment, I want to do justice to all alike, and Councillors should bo a little more consistent, From your way of thinking I can see that a man won't be able to get on very well lean sec what you want, and that is, that I aud the men working for me are to como to you and tell all that is going on -and what is not going on, That means that whoever comes with tho best story or the biggest lie is the tvhitehaired boy. Well, gentlemen, I think,, ' you should have had enough of *baA lor all the good it has done,: and if you expect mo to do the been done in the past you'nrWnSstaM) I think tho right man to come to far information is tho Manager, and anyV, gentleman of the Council who will come and ask straightforward questions ' should get a straightforward imswer.I am, Yours Obediently,

- J- CoiUM." ..;$; _ The Mayor said the letter was in 'lt his opinion most improper and dis- :^' courteous. ; ■■'■s,

CrPeist, as Chairman of the Gas •' ;sl Committee, said he felt called upon y "M tomak'oafewremark It would be v;i| remembered tkat at the previous meeting the Council had decided to :'■ •% give the manager full power to dis- : A|j charge any employe, • woidd be rather arbitrary, and had accord-'• . : i| ingly amended the Gas Committee's. report. _ It was quite enough to give their time and services, without '':4|| having to put up with insults, and '-$ m he considered it was monstrous that ■■•M a servant of tho- Council should 'address such, a letter to them. Mr' ■ ; MM Collins had been selected for the-"'.'ll position .of Gas Manager after agoodv 111 deal of consideration, and from many ; ; ; iH applicants, and this seemed a strange way of treating the Council. 1 *£§§ Ho could hardly express, himself <•£'#s strongly enough, but at present"felt ho-cpuld go a long wa^towards;:Bi||l voting that his sfimicesblispensed ''MM with at the end of the nlith Ho |§l| would mo\ethat the Manager be lnfoiracd tint the Council will take its own course of conduct m dealing with its omployes, and jf||| stiongly lesenfß tho tohe of the' mm Manager's lottei, . i.S| < hassle

Or Wagg seconded tho motion. Ho was certainly of opinion that tho Council should reserve tho right to disohargo employ6s,and not delogato that power to the Gas Manager, i Tho Mayor thought that tho letter I was a most unproper one, Or Yates considered an apology was due to tho Council from tho Gas Managor. • Tho Mayor said that iu a recent conversation the Gas Manager had appeared to resent tho Council's action. He was very sorry tho matter had cropped up, and it was to be regretted that Mr Collins had not approached tho Council in a proper manner,

Tho motion was then put and carried, and tho subject dropped,