Cromwell Borough Council

Cromwell Argus, Volume L, Issue 2646, 27 October 1919, Page 5

Cromwell Borough Council

The fortnightly meeting of the above was held on Thursday. Present : Ors Wishart, Brown, Orr, Jones, and Campbell. In the absence of the Mayor and Acting-Mayor, Or Wisharo was voted to the chair. Inward correspondence was dealt with as follows ; Mr G. Waldo applied to transfer his interest in sections 11 arid 12, block 07, to Mr J. Ritchie Approved, The clerk, Wanganui Borough Council, wrote as iollows : “At a meeting of my council held on 26th August, 1919, a resolution was carried unanimously protesting against, the proposal to reinstate Mr Von Zedletz, as Professor of Modern Languages at Victoria College, lb was felt that the appointment of an unnaturabsed German to an educational position would be an insult to our soldiers and our loyalty, and that every possible step be taken to keep such positions for men of British birth. My council will be pleased if you will cooperate in resisting any attempt to reinstate Mr Von Zedletr..”

The letter created a fairly keen debate.

(Jr Brown moved that the letter be received and no action taken, and Or Campbell seconded. Speaking to his motion Or Brown said that from what was known the man’s services were dispensed with during the war for no other cause than that he was unnaturaliscd. Sir Robert Stout and Mr Hunter, of the Board of Directors, hud not one word to say against Mr Von Zedlotz, and he had never uttered a disloyal word. If the position was vacant, give it to the best possible man, and not persecute a matt on account of his nationality. They should nob be intolerant to any man because of nationality. Or Orr moved that the council endorse the resolution, and Or Jones seconded. Or Orr maintained it was only right they should keep this man out. He instanced the resolutions which had been carried right through the struggle to preserve such positions for British subjects. Our boys had been fighting the Huns and it was not fair for them to come back and find unnaturalised enemy subjects appointed to such positions. “ Keep this man out,” he said. Or Brown : “ I’m ashamed of you, Or Orr !” Or Orr’s retort was that there were British subjects competent to fill the position, and one such should be appointed. Or Wishart also contended that British subjects could bo found for the position, and it should be held by one of these. On being put the amendment was carried by three votes to two. Or Wishart (Water Committee), reported that repairs to the Mount Pisa pipe line had been corapletcdofind the water turned in. The Firewood Creek pipe line on the slip had been secured. There was a good supply of water,—Received. The bank book showed a debit balance of T96 12s Bd ; actual debit, after allowing for temporary loans, iM4(S 12s 8.1.

Accounts amounting to £l5B 10s 4d were passed for payment.