GETTING A DONATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 210, 5 September 1930, Page 3

GETTING A DONATION.

BRIDGE ASSOCIATION.

NORTHCOTE'S FIVE GUINEAS.

ME. GREENSLADE ASKS QUESTIONS.

His endeavours to extract a £5 5/ donation from the Northcote Borough Council brought the secretary of the Auckland Harbour Bridge Association, Captain Ashdown, into conflict with. Mr. A. E. Greenslade, Mayor of Northcote, at last night's meeting of the association.

The secretary reported that he had written to the town clerk of Northcote to remind him that Ms council had authorised on June 25 a grant of £5 5/ to the association. This had not been received. The town clerk had replied that the letter had been received by his council, but omitted any mention of the grant.

"Tlie secretary says in his letter to the council: 'I am instructed to write/ " said Mr. Greenslade. "Who instructed him? I am a member of the executive and of the committee, and I do not remember any instruction." The use of the phrase, "I am instructed," was, Captain Ashdown explained, a matter of courtesy to the executive. He had a general instruction to write such correspondence. Mr. Greenslade: The secretary's letter was not authorised. The Chairman (Mr. A. Marks): Then I will ask you to move a, motion to that effect. On Mr. Greenslade'e refusing to do this, Mr. Marks moved that the secretary's action was in order, and the motion was carried. "That is evading the question, not meeting it," protested Mr. Greenslade. "Wβ have no president and no vicepresident, so I would like to know just who is running this association." The secretary had been instructed to do all he could to get funds, Mr. Wills pointed out. He had been authorised to address meetings and to write to people. For this he had been offered a commission, which he had refused. His action, in writing to the Northcote Borough Council to ask for a donation, which had been authorised, but overlooked, was in accordance with his general instructions. If the secretary had to come before the committee with every letter he sent asking for funds, it would be wasting time. Mr. Pow: Mr. Greenslade is splitting hairs. If he had been anxious to help the association, he would not haveordered the letter to be merely "received" by Ms counci 1 . Mr. Marks: Well, we cannot dictate to anyone who is giving ps money. We cannot force them to give us the grant. I will just move that their letter be received. An interjeetor: And let us think what we like. Another (sotto voce): Pretty rotten.