MUNICIPAL ETIQUETTE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 127, 29 May 1914, Page 9

MUNICIPAL ETIQUETTE.

OFFICIAI.S AITD OUTSIDE PRACTICE. I REQUEST FROM TK KUTI DETUNED.

The position a.* to whether a municipal official should be allowed to accept. private fees by special permission of tlio. City Council for services* rendered to out! side local bodies was discussed at | Bomo length at, ltisl night.- meeting of the Council. An application for tbc scrviifs. of the City Klfi't ric-al Engineer i.Mr. A. Wyllie i to report upon a scheme for the expenditure , of £4..VM) on Uie duplication of its electric light plant has Wii received from the ( ity Council by the Te Kuiti Uorougli Council. Mr. X- IMde- ■ hopo said that tin , engineer could in one day do all thai wa_* required, namely, j check tin , scheme of the lot-.il engineer. I Hi' moved that the request be complied with. Mr. R. T. Michaels said lie had ajways opposed such procedure, because there were six or electrical firms j in the city who were competent to advise j the Te Kuiti Council. Why, ho asked, should the Council interfere with private | enterprise by allowing their clectriea.l engineer to take bread ami butter out of other men's mouths? Mr. C. Knight pointed out that when; the Auckland Council wajited to ha\e the j Sficmo of ihfi r own **niri no*T thov secured the services of the Wellington f'ity Klertrieal Knginepr. Surely they might extend the :-a.me c.iiirloy i.. I:' Kuiti. j Mr. P. M. Maekay objected to tli.-j highly-paid officials of the Council beiuc allowed to enter into competition with ' t men who were striving to ram I heir daily bread. Mr. ?. .1. Nerheny sn.id he always op-, posed allowing the'r engineers to enter j into competition with private engineers., Mr. H. N Bajrnall considered the dequest, was a. compliment to the l il\ Cotinoil. He favoured the motion. >lr. K. S. Bripgs expressed ciirjirife at the ehanpe of front displayed liy t-omc Councillors, and revneri nmnnrUT of an j occasion when ihe old Purnell Borough Council was refused the services of the: city landscape tranlcncr. If the ( numil's . ofnVer> were allowed to po u> ditferent parts of the Dominion there would W DC telling where the practice would stop. The Deputy Mayor i.Mr. John I'ourM thought it was a' pity that Mime Used | rule was not. laid down A feu »wk*| airo the oily lajni.-cape gardener was al-i lowed to sr> to Hamilton, and the I own Clerk informed him (the .~p.-ak.-ri that another application for Mr Pearson's i service* had reached the ofiicr. I"he j Coun.-il should decide the point one way or t'ne other. Mr. Tudehope. replying if a remark ponrPi-ning the ofT.-r of the Te Kuiti Coum-il to pay Mr. Wvllir ,1 fee. reminded Councillors that the same had been done when Mr Richardson came from Wei [ lington to a-dvi.-e the Auckland Cily : Council concerning its scheme. On a show of hands being taken votinc was even, but just then Mr. Hall Skelton took his seat, and when informed by neighbouring Councillors what wa-« the; nature of Uic proposition, voted against ! the motion. . Supporters of Mr. Ttidehope's resolution queried whether Mr. Skelton hud voted I The affirmative voters: TTe did not know the business before the Council. | Take another show of hamU Those in opposition: No. We explained! the proposal. Mr. Skelton: f have voted. Mr Mayor.: Mr. Knight: \mi voted on flotnethins I which you knew nothing about. | The Mayor declared the motion lost, '