COUNCILLOR'S RESIGNATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 116, 17 May 1924, Page 11

COUNCILLOR'S RESIGNATION.

~ . »— 9 TRADE LIMIT EXCEEDED. (From Our Own Correspondent.) CAMBRIDGE, this day. At Thursday night's meeting of the Cambridge Borough Council, a letter was read from Councillor H. Alan Bell, resigning his seat as a councillor, he ( having inadvertently accepted payments from the Council amounting to 1/ over] the statutory limit of £10 during the past year. i Councillor Richards said he was very! sorry that Councillor Bell had been I ; placed in such a position over such a trifle. He expressed the opinion that j j there was no reason why a councillor .! should not supply the Council with ' goods, provided he could give good , | value for what he supplied. He thought j i the statutory provision was an unreasonable one, and should, be amended. ; Councillor Wells pointed out that one 1 amount of 12/ paid to Mr. Bell was | ■ really for grazing during the previous j year. However, as Mr. Bell had been i lax in sending in his account it counted I with the next year, and thus made the ] total a few shillings over the limit. Had ! the bill for this 12/ been rendered earlier Mr. Bell would not have hat! to resign. The Mayor referred to the splendid services rendered by Councillor Bell for 1 many years. He thought it unfortunate I that the Act prevented many good men j from entering the public service. This ' was not an isolated instance, and in 1 many towns the Act operated harshly. Councillor Kelly said the Act was a wise one in some respects. It kept the councillors' actions within bounds. A motion was passed expressing re- \ gret at the circumstances that had led Councillor Bell to resign, and thanking him for his past services. It was stated that there was nothing to. prevent Councillor Bell from being nominated for the vacancy.