WORDS AT PETONE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1034, 25 January 1911, Page 8

WORDS AT PETONE.

A HOT DEBATE. COUNCILLOR PIPER AND THE COUNCIL. SURPRISE MOTIONS. A debate which became iii. its later stages exceedingly warm arose at the meeting; of the Petono Borough Council last evening. At tho previous meeting .the engineer reported upon a complaint by a ratepayer in reference to failure of gas supply, and tho report was adopted by the council. The report in question was summarised as follows in The Dominion on JanuarylO:—The engineer (Mr. W. H. Cook), .in the. course qf his report upon the working of the bbrough gas department, referred to a report, laid beforo a previous meeting of the council, that a ratepayer (Mr. Meyriek) had complainedjof an insufficient " gas supply to his premises. Upon- inquiries being made, the engineer stated,' it was found that Mr. Meyriek complained only that his account for gas. was too high. When tho-service was examined for leakage, it-was found that a branch service had, by arrangement, been- carried from Mr. Meyriek's premises to an adjoining office,, and that' : the whole: service was being ''registered on Mr. Meyriek's meter.Tho matter had been remedied. Tho statement that tho fitter had declined td. do .'anything "ra : the matter be-' foro nine o'clock in the morning had not been borne out: upon investigation. "Somewhat Imaginary." Last "evening. Councillor Piper moved: '-That tho, resolution adopting. the engineer's'' report-.'at ' a'■meeting, of ./the council held on January 9 be rescinded.". .■ - , . Speaking to his. motion, . Councillor Piper said that, at .the. meeting on January it had been -reported that -Mi*. . 'Moyrick . * (tho. ratepayer' in _ question). .. ' had. ", point-blank donied that ho had any cause of com-' plaint other: than 'tho. niagnitudo of. his gas bill for ' the .previous month. At the time the report was read tho speaker know it to be somewhat of an imaginary nature. He (Councillor Piper) wished to; apologise for having'been led, at the/previous. meeting, to uso an : ui> parliamcntary expression. Ho had regretted. ; 'il'the 'moment/tho- word' was out of his mouth. / He now moved that the resolution bo rescinded;-with a view to amending the'report. .He did so in the interests' of'tho ratepayers, believing ..that, the council , reports should be accurate. ' ' ' ' "

Councillor Piper then 1 read in estenso a letter-from Mr. Meyriek,'which"stated, inter alia, that his gas supply failed on tho evening of December .16., Ho sent' a- messenger to : .tho borough-' gasfitters' workshop ,to ask that a gasfitter bo- sent 'at onco ■to • re-' store this supply; The messenger-on his return said he - had been informed that no-work-could be done beforo 9 a.m. ~ i ■' . ".

, Consequently, Councillor piper contended, the. -report' submitted to . tho council ; (on January -9) was manifestly incorrect.* Ho -was' compelled to' 'say that many of- these statements-- had been made-to. the cpuncil-which on tiio slightest examination proved to bo in-, accurate. It had : been lately said that in former days; sucb inaccuracy was a complete disqualification for, the-hold-ing of • any public office,. and if .they could not on tho accuracy of. information supplied 1 to. the council they -did jiot, know where they were. . "So . many reports,V.,i concluded CouiicilloriPiper, "havo been made, to this council and committees of this-, council,- iibt l! in accord with tho facts that.it"is with extreme .difficulty', that 1- can ; accept these reports."' The.Mayor Explains. , Tho -Mayor made a lengthy statement based on inquiries ho bad' made : in : the matter. , Am.ong.;6ther. things; -he stated that he had discovered that 'Mr. Moynck's messenger on Pccember 17 did not see any of the' borough -gas-fitters, but merely, spoko to' a' crossing-sweeper outside-the council offices. The sweepci' wa not mado properly aware of the messenger's - errand, - but informed him that the council offices did not open until ■ nine ' o'clock. ;Tho - messenger then went'away. : Reading through tho engineer's report; the Mayor stated that it was absolutely correct. in every particular. ' .

Councillor Brocklebank- said' his Worship the .Mayor had been at a lot' of trouble .'-to. ulieartb information' that might very . W'ell-'havo been obtained by tho engineer. The report submitted did not put'the complaint. . , Councillor . Southgate said Councillor Piper had brought a certain-charge. The speaker had- voted -for a report as to 'why tho gasfitter did not'-attend to a complaint when .'requested.. .It now appeared that the gasfit-ters had not been notified. Councillor -Piper's -'complaint was that these men would not go. It had'been proved that they wero never asked t-o go. . ..

: Councillor Brocklebanksaid. he was quite satisfied no complaint bad been properly laid by Mr.'Meyrick in regard to shortage ; of'gas! "Listening to Twaddle.": ■ Councillor. Short said it was unfortunate that Mr.: Meyrick had not chosen a reliable messenger. Councillor Piper should have found out the facts of the matter before' making, his' complaint. "It is simply abominable;"' continued the councillor, "having to sit here night after night'-and -listen-to the twaddle' that Councillor l'iper .'brings before us.. I think'that- : instead «f rescinding this resolution to-night we might pass .a motion of censure onCouncillor "Piper for - wasting so much of the council's time." A councillor: "I will second that." Councillor Short: "Well, I won't move ' it.' I feel that after ' this ho (Councillor Piper) will bo a great deal moro careful l about any more tales lie brings to us." ' Councillor List :'"l'for 0110 have had just about enough of tlieso yarns coming beforetho council. ■ It is a - great pity that these sort of tilings are continually being alleged against an official. •It is not tho first, second, or third ' time tliis has occurred. "When 1 look back Ii feel disgusted that old councillors who ought to know better should como. hero and jay these charges." . Councillor Piper opined that lie was fully as well provided with common sense as his critics.' The matter had been , twisted to , make it appear that ho had lodged a complaint on behalf of Mr. Meyrick. ..In fact, he had asked a question itlfecting tho administration of the gas working department. The question ho. had asked was whether the borough gas-fitters wero not allowed to attend to any work before 9 o'clock in the morning. He (tho speaker) had a perfect right to ask a question affect mg the administration of the council's ■department. , , , Councillor Soutligate: Get as near the truth as you can when you aro doing it.

Councillor Piper, in. continuing, remarked that it had'been clearly proved that the messenger from Mr. Jleyrick Lad not seen a gasfitter. This, of course, absolutely cleared tho employees. "An Unmitigated Bully." Another interruption by a councillor roused Councillor Piper's wrath. "You are aii unmitigated bully, sir," he declared passionately, "and I am not going to stand., it any longer." Tho Mayor: "Councillor, Piper—— 1 Councillor Piper : If .you wish the busiucsu of this council'to bo conducted

properly for goodness sake see that ho is not. allowed to interrupt. '

.. Aftei'-somo.further..criticism .of,the engineer's report Councillor Piper sat down.

The Mayor said ho was sorry that at the previous'' meeting' Councillor 'I'iper had used language that was not justi-fied-and had again used language that was not justified, at the present meeting,. Ho (the Mayor) did not intend to. tako any action. Ho' merely called the councillor's attention to tho fact. In tho'past'ho had allowed Councillor Piper a good .dealiof, latitude and given him every opportunity to bring forward his questions. For tho future ho .would'not. allow motions to bo brought up which aro in the'nature of surprise motions; ' Tho council was entitled to.have all tho facts bearing on any question placed before jit. In fuituro notice must be given of all motions. In' tho case of urgent motions tho speaker, would be glad if any counjCillor would come to him if not a couplo of days before tlio.'meeting at least on tho day of the meeting. On a division Councillor. Piper's motion was defeated by six votes t-o two.