HEATHCOTE COUNTY COUNCIL.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15485, 12 January 1916, Page 6

HEATHCOTE COUNTY COUNCIL.

CHAIRMAN ASKED TO RESIGN. V

NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION CARRIED. At the mcetiug of the Heathcoh County Council last evening, Mr G. K. ,' Burton moved in accordance notice given—"That, seeing that Mr Scott hasi not now, as chairman, got the * confidence of the members of this Council. ho should retire, and, further, tho • Council strongly disapproves of hit-' - proposal on the City Council,'' wlmst acting as chairman of this' Council, 'that tho whole of the* Heathcote County shall come into the city.'" . In speaking to his motion, Mr Bur-" ton said that at a private meeting the members of the Council, six out of " : eight present had decided in favour of the resolution and undertook to support the mover. At* tho last annual meeting the election of Mr Scott as chairman • took them all by surprise, especially as he had said he would not stand for tho chairmanship again. Mr Burton gave as his reason for tho motion that he was flatly opposed to what occurred at a recent meeting of the City Council, when Mr Scott had op- ' ' posed the inclusion of Opawa in the city area, and had proposed that the whole of tho Heathcote County should bo taken in. Mr Scott had been given an opportunity to bring the matter before the Heathcote Council, hut had not considered it advisablo to do so. i He (the speaker) had no quarrel with tho city, but he did not agree with Mr Scott being a member of tho City Council while occupying the chairmanship of tho Heathcote Council. He could not say all ho would like to say, as Mr Scott had taken steps to prevent it. - ■ ; ■ ■' ' '

Mr Burton said another reason for the motion was that he did not the way in which Mr Scott had treated''®! the Burgesses/ Association. Ho hnrl M treated tnem like children. Again, hajjjfl had not pushed on the work of tho/ lis Council at all. He further disapproved of tho attitude which llrfv Scott-took up in regard, to Cashmere V'fl matters. Ho had voted'for Mr Scoti at the annual meeting under a • prehension. He understood that tenure of the chairmanship was only' 7 J until March, but if Mr Scott vtas goinaj' ; s to continuo to bring forward proposals . : without consulting tho Council, he did not think it advisable to wait till then...

If Mr Scott had supported the pro-' • posal that the whole of Heathcoto - ~ County should join the city, whv did < lie object to one portion being included, % without first consulting the Council ?i Tho motion was seconded by Mr. G. N. Hall, . i Mr 0. Flavell said he thought the . motion was uncalled for, and hoped it would not be carried. As far as ho' j* was concerned, he bad had every lielp from Mr Scott. On many occasions Mr Scott had used caution, and had v refused to plnnge unwarily into a ject, and he thought that this caution' 1 -' nad done no harm. As to tho great argument against what hod < at the' City Council meeting. ; thought that Mr Burton liad » much of it. After all, it was not fco' much what the City, Council or tho. Heathcoto Council thought, but.whnt' ■*' tho ratepayers thought, _ that mattered. J Ho was opposed to lopping portions of! r ;' the county. It was not conducive to , good and eoonomical working; nnd ho"-/ hoped that Opawa would not ho allowed to go into - tho city bv itself.- . jt, Mr E. Armstrong said that lie saw _~v bo reason for going back on his voto when ho helped Mr Scott into the chair.'., *<j The motion was then put to the meet-'* - ing and carried. f Mr Scott, in conversation with - "Press" reporter afterwards, made it clear that further action would bo i taken in tho matter.