WAS THERE INJUSTICE?

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 119, 13 February 1920, Page 7

WAS THERE INJUSTICE?

MR. A. B. ST. ROIHAIN'S DISMISSAL

DEPUTATION TO THE CITY

COUNCIL

As nn-outcome of a recent indignation meeting at Hnkitai over the dismissal of Mr. A. B. St. Eomain by Milk Company, No. 3, from tho position of milk vendor, a-: large deputation-of Hataitai and Kilbirnio residents waited on last night's meeting of the City Council.

After tho deputation had been brieflj introduced by Councillor C. H. Chapman, Mr. A. Jorgenson, as;one of the spokesmen, said that tlho residents wisi.'ed to cany their protest to the City Council as they considered an. injustico ihad been done. The residents.had. been ;well served by Mr. Eornaip. They were told that there had been complaints, End if the Corporation Milk Department did order his dismissal then tho deputation desired that he be reinstated. Mr. Roniain was never called upon to answer any complaints either from the Milk Committee or his company. They, therefore, aslccd that tho Milk Committee be directed to hold an inquiry. . Mr. A. (i. Wallace endorsed tho previous speaker's remarks, and added that Mr. Eomain was held by tho residents of the district in very high regard. They .thought that he had not been treatea fairly. Incidentally, Eomain had taken a petition around qniong hi* customers testifying that his services had befin satisfactory. Out'of 580 customers all had 6igned the petition except 20, who weio away from home at the time. According to the Mayor, only one side of the position was placed before the public. • However, the City Council would sift the matter, and get to the sx>ttoni of it, and see llhat justice was done. That was all. ho could say in open council. Tho council had a good deal of information on the subject which the speakers wero not in' possession of. ■His Worship went on to point out that the milk scheme, wihile'it brought about a great improvement, was not absolutely perfect. There- was just the possibility that the "difficulties of temperament" that might arise between some individual members of tho company might cause a man to be squeezed out and a wrong might thus bo done. Ho was not going to say llhat that was the position in the case under review. The w'hole caso would, however, be carefully investigated, and if there were any difficulty that could be righted by the council this would be done. ' The deputation then withdrew. Subsequently the council referred tihe matter to the Milk Committee for report.