A COUNCILLOR AS TENANT

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21954, 1 December 1936, Page 5

A COUNCILLOR AS TENANT

LYTTELTON BOROUGH DISPUTE

MAYOR’S ACTION CHALLENGED

The position of a councillor, who is a tenant of the council, has led to a rather unusual position at Lyttelton, and an animated discussion took place at the meeting of the Lyttelton Borough Council last night, about a dispute which has arisen between the council and the tenant. At the previous meeting, a letter was received from Mr W. Toy, lessee of Godley House, asking the council to authorise the payment of an amount of approximately £7 10s, which had been incurred for extra work by the contractor for the renovation of Godley House. The council at that meeting decided to reply declining liability for the amount on the grounds that the work had not been authorised by the council. Cr. Toy, who had arrived at the meeting after the matter had been disposed of, had attempted to speak on the matter, but had been ruled out by the Mayor (Mr F. E. Sutton). Last night the Mayor said he had received a letter from Mr Toy asking that the matter be reconsidered. He had written to Mr Toy stating that the matter could not again come before the council, except by notice of m ition to rescind the previous resolution. He had later received a. further letter from Cr. Toy, written as a councillor, protesting against the Mayor’s action in not putting the first letter before the council. He offered to read the letters if the council so desired. Cr. E. S. Morris said that Mr Toy would be well advised to let the thing drop. Cr. T. B. Hempstalk said that in a similar position concerning another tenant the matter had been opened up again.

Cr. J. D. Sargentina said the council would be well advised to negotiate with Mr Toy with a view to effecting an amicable settlement. He was of opinion that Mr Toy had not been treated as fairly as he should have been.

The Mayor: That is not the matter under discussion. Cr. W. T. Foster said that if the letters opened up a subject already dealt with, he would object to their being read. Cr. Toy: Am I in order in making an explanation? I am in an invidious position, and I simply will not be content to sit here unless this matter is fixed up to my satisfaction. The Mayor said that Cr. Toy was of opinion that the report that had been given out of what had occurred at the last meeting was not the report that Cr. Toy desired, and, in the opinio. i of Cr. Toy, was doing him an injustice. If the council unanimously consented, Cr, Toy could be allowed to make an explanation; but no discussion could be permitted. On Cr. Foster dissenting, the Mayor said the matter could not go further. Councillors could peruse the letters if they desired to do so. Cr. Toy: I wrote the letters to the Mayor and councillors, and those letters should have been put before the council. You should not take advantage of your position and veto those letters. I am determined to follow the matter up and ventilate it. I cannot sit at this table with that stigma over my head. Cr. Morris: What stigma? Cr. Toy: Well, read the newspaper.

Mayor Adjourns Meeting

Cr. Toy again brought up the subject towards the end of the meeting, under the heading of new business. He asked Ihe Mayor whether a letter, addressed by a citizen to the Mayor and councillors, had been received. Should that letter not be placed before the council? Until such time as his letters were read at a council meeting and the insult offered to him and his family removed

The Mayor: I must rule you out of order.

Cr. Toy; I am on my feet, and I am going to have my say. The letters will be made public, even if I have to advertise them in the press. The Mayor: Cr. Toy, I ask you to sit down.

Cr. Toy: I refuse to sit down. The Mayor: Then I declare the meeting adjourned. The Mayor then left the table.

Cr. Toy continued to address the Mayor as the councillors filed out of the room, and then followed them into the supper room, where the proceedings became less strained.