ONEHUNGA'S TROUBLES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 74, 28 March 1894, Page 2

ONEHUNGA'S TROUBLES.

THE SANITATION QUESTION.

THE LADY MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL.

▲ LIVELY MEETING.

HOW MRS YATES RULES HER COUNCILLORS. '

CROSS-QUESTIONS AND CROOKED ANSWERS.

Mbs Elizabeth Yates, the •' pioneer " lady Mayor, who presides over the destinies of the Bordagh of Onehnnga, has by no means • sinecure of ib in her office as Mayor of Onehunga. The usual Borough Council Meeting in that township last evening was • very lively one, as will be seen below, and Mrt Yatea and her Councillors had more than one animated pasaage-of-arms. chiefly ove* §b* much • vexed borough sanitation question. There were firesenb laeb evening in the Council Chambers : The Lady Mayor (Mrs Elizabeth Yates), and Cre. Hasbie, Hills, Shaldrick, J. D. Jackson, Tapp, McKenzic, Nixon, and Colledge. Thero was also a large attendance of spectators. The first question which troubled the Council was ft complaine re storm water. Mr C. V. Hill wrote complaining thab as much as two acres of hia property had been covered with storm water after Tains, and asking the Council to do something in the matter of drainage 80 aa to carry the storm water off his land. After some discussion it was resolved that the necessary drainage work, as askefl for, should be done by. the Council. A division Was called for and taken, and Councillor Hastie, waxing wroth at Home remarks made by the other councillors, jumped out nnd said be would leave the room sooner than vote on the question. He then picked up his hat and walked out of the Council Chamber evidently in high dudgeon. However, he camo back and reaumed his Beat in a few minutes.

The lady -Mayor took strong objection to the decision of the Council to spend the ratepayers' money in diverting the stormwater from the property already mentioned. Rising in indignation, she exclaimed, emphasising her worda with her eloquent forefinger, " I don't know whftro the Coancillors who are going into that expenditure; are going to find the .money. What'B the uae of me coining here," she wrathfally asked, " to put things straight ? Why I've gob. property down there that's flooded in the winter-time, and I don't come here and vote money away to improve my own property ! Why, it's ridiculous !" The motion was carried, however, and the question dropped. The next matter which cropped up to disturb the equanimity of the Council was a report from the Inspector of Nuisances, stating that he had visited.all the slaughterhouses in the borough, and had found them in good order. Councillor Tapp asked if this report were to be kept back from the Board of Health, as other correspondence had been kept back from a future meeting in order that it might be dealt with again. ~ AN APOLOGY WANTED. The Mayor was on her mettle at once. Shaking her forefinger at) Or. T,app, she said in the severest of tones: •' I expect an apology from any councillor who says that. You must not come here and make statements of that description. You will have to apologise for saying that I kept back any correspondence. Now, you must apologise!" '„,.,, Or. Tapp laughed and said, "I didn't cay you kept back anything." Mrs Yates : Oh, yes you did 1 I don't allow any councillor to come here and insinuate that I kept any correspondence back. ■• - , "" After a little further talk, no apology being forthcoming, the Mayor said that Mr Jackson had made the same statement as that made by Cr. Tapp, " ' '•■ -■'•>" Both Messrs Jackson and Tapp claimed that they had been misunderstood. the Health of one hung a. In connection with the question of the sanitary condition of the borough, thQ Mayor said that she considered that the town was getting an unenviable notoriety forbad health. She had at first thought it advisable to keep the dincussion on this matter private, but now when the thing had been blazoned abroad, it might as well be done publicly. A letter was then read from the Central Board of Health, Wellington, acknowledging the receipt of a letter from Dr. W. R. Erson. ot Onehunga. This letter (already published), drawing the attention of the authorities to the alleged bad sanitary condition of the borough, and to the fact that the wanb of sanitary precautions had re* suited in a serious outbreak of typhoid fever, was read by the Town Clerk. The Mayor then said, in stern and judicial tones: "You will ccc that he complaina of twenty cases of typhoid in Onehunga. Now, exactly half of thutnum-ber-*-tei>—were reported, and we have no confirmation whatever that typhoid existed in those cases* Up to to-day, the number of caaes of illnesa reported in the borough was 16i'arid two of these only were reported as infectious. I any that a man living in our town who would be guilty of writing such a letter as that, and as he did in last Monday's Stab, ia

A DISGRACE TO US,

When he sent thab first communication to ns here, I took his letter to the Health Officer, and he said that typhoid was a disease which was preventive, and that Erson was himself to blame in nob taking proper precautions when he was Mayor. The only remedy was thab persons should use ordinary cleanliness in their households and on their premises." The Mayor wenb on to refer to Dr. Erson having reportod the same case twice in one instance, and pronounced the dictum thab " doctors are nob infallible. They are liable to. make mistakes as well as other men." She considered that proportionabely Onehunga was very healthy, wibha sickness rabe of only 15 persons in 3,000. Then she went on to say again :—" I have had no desire to mention Erson's namein this Council. When I wok this chair I determined never to mention hia name, but I have found myself fdrced to do so. Onehunga people have had a good example of what he has done lor the town in raising tbU hue-and-cry."

THE DOCTOR AND TYPHOID.

Cr. Hastie rope to remark that it was a rather singular fact thab no case of typhoid had been reported during the doctor's Mayoralty. It was only since the doctor had come back from Sydney that he dieoovored Onehunga was in such an alarming condition. The other day he saw Dr. Ersan going up the road, and when he saw him the doctor waved some papers round his head and shouted dtib: " Three typhoids again ! Three typhoids again I" (Laughter.) The Mayor: I oan quite believe bhab. Councillor Nixon next struggled to his feet and said: •♦Well, Miater Mayor (laughter), 1 must certainly give Dr. Eraon great credit for advertising his own dirt. (Laughter.) We must be very iilthy if in two months we have polluted Onehunga. This dirt musb have accumulated during the time he was in the town.' We are nob dirty enough to create such filth as thab no matter what we do. (Laughter.) I wash myself (laughter), and I think every other Councillor does. (Laughter. 1 If I were Her Ladyship the Mayor I would expose his dirt." (Laughter.) >' A POINT OF ORDER. Cr. Tnpo.ir.ov«>l. "That five guineas be ~fW,Hi •..' 1 ■'•■/••.■ '!,.' Health Officer, for ft u-j.ui i vAi ..... ■•<. ..ui v. Lao borough."

The motion lapsed for want of a seconder, the Mayor saying that she had got the doctor's opinion without the live guineas. > Cr. Tapp insisting on speaking after be had been ruled out of order, the Mayor said :

" You masb sib down. lam the person to dictate to you." Cr. Tapp: Oh, no, you're nob. You can't go as you please. (Laughter.) The Mayor: It's for me to dictate to you, I say. Don't speak to me like thai)! Cr. Tapp : Oh, no, missus, you're not going to do that. (Laughter.) The Mayor (with severity): You have spoken once. You cannot speak again. The Mayor went on to say that she considered thab a vote of censure should be passed on the writer of the letter. The Mayor moved : " Thab the Town Clerk be instructed to reply to the letter, giving a correcb statement of the facts re the health of Onehunga."

Cr. Jackson, while saying that Onehunga was as healthy as any place in New Zealand, strongly urged bhe closing of the present burying - grounds in the borough, which, he stated, were a danger to the health of the district. He moved as an amendment " That the Town Clerk be instructed to acknowledge receipt of the letter, and to say that the matter had come under the consideration of the Council." APPLYING THE CLOTURE. Cr. Jackson going on to apeak at some length on bhe sanitary state of the borough, the Mayor said, "Your time is up, Cr. Jackson." ' Cr. Jackson smiled serenely and said, " Oh no, it ie not." The Mayor (with dignity) : Every Councillor is allowed five minutes to speak and you have spoken more than five minutes. Cr. Jackson : Thab ia nob the rule of the Council. The Mayor: Are you defying me? Cr. Jackson: Yes, I am defying you. This is not on the standing orders. The Mayor rose to her feet, and addressing Cr. Jackson in her sternest tones, asked : " Will you sit down ?" DEFYING THE MAYOR. Cr. Jackson calmly stroked his beard and replied, "No, 1 will nob sib down. You must put that rule on the standing orders. It is out of your power to pass such a resolution to gag the members of the Council."

The Mayor : I will not bo defied I Cr. Jack3on : I am nob defying you ! I am standing up for our rights, and, I am not going to be dictated to by the Council or the Clmir.

The Mayor: You have now been 13 minutes speaking. Cr. Jackson said thab he would have finished if tho Mayor had nob interrupted him.

The Mayor now banged the table with her fist, and cried with a voice of thunder : Will you obey my ruling ? Cr. Jackson.- No, I will nob obey your ruling. The Mayor: Then we may aa well dissolve the Council.

Cr. Jackson : I am not speaking to the motion nor replying. I am speaking againsb it, therefore the fiv9 minutes rule does not apply to mo. . The Mayor : Oh, that's characteristic of you. (Laughter.) Cr. Tapp seconded the amendment. .Cr. Jackson and the Mayor then,had a few words as to whab was the primary cause of typhoid fever.

"NOT AN ENCYCLOPEDIA."

The Mayor : You are not an encyclopaedia, I <een assure you, Cr. Jackson ! (Laughter.) The amendment was losb on a division and the motion was carried.

After a few other matters of minor importance had been disposed of, the meeting dispersed. -