CITY COUNCIL’S MOTORS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 232, 25 June 1921, Page 9

CITY COUNCIL’S MOTORS

DISCUSSED BY THE COUNCIL

Councillor T. Foreyfh, at Thursday evening’s meeting of the City Council, raised an objection to the proposal to purchase a motor-car for the sanitary inspector. Surely, he said, that officer was able to get the use of one of the cars that filled the yard at the back of tho Town Hall. It might mean a book entry, but that entry was nothing. Tho Mayor (Mr. R. A. Wright) said that the motor-ear business was a. thing that would have to be carefully watched. The motor-car cost to the City Council was .£BOOO a year, and ho thereupon enumerated the many cars and, trucks tint were now in the possession of the council. He thought Councillor W. H. Bennett would be well advised to take this matter back. Councillor A. M'Vicar mentioned that the officer had to visit places where infectious diseases existed, and she asked was it safe for such an officer to travel by tho tramcars in association with men, women and children.

Councillor Chapman defended the Hospital Board, which he said consisted of ladies and gentlemen who were sensed with tho responsibilities of their position, and never expended money without the most careful consideration-

Councillor M'Kenzie said that he would like to see side by side with the .£BOOO expenditure what saving had been effected by the employment of motors. All the most progressive cities in England were adopting motor vehicles, and had scrapped all their, horse vehicles. One city alone had spent <£50,000 in replacing horse with motor vehicles. Councillor C. B. Norwood said that the list of cars read out showed what a variety of cars and trucks they had got. together, and that was probably the reason of the heavy cost. If economies were to be effected they must spend money. For all they knew tho vehicle needed might be a motor-cycle, and per mile and per hundred miles he could testify to its economy. He also mentioned the splendid work which* had been done by the motor vehicles during the epidemic. Councillor M. F. Luckie supported the recommendation.

In reply the Mayor asked Councillor Luckie if he flid not know that the city engineer had reported that the matter of these motor-cars was becoming a very grave one, and he did not know what to do with it, and so ho had thrown the matter on the committee. He was going to speak out against any form of waste. He had spent two of the most unpleasant days lie had spent in his life with the council’s banker, and he was going to take ft stand against the, piling up. of expense. He was not opposed to the adoption of motor vehicles, and it would be all right if the council could employ them constantly. That was the point. Councillor W. H. Bennett pointed out that the head of the Health Department had communicated with the council in respect to the sanitary officer, andhe read a report from the city engineer strongly recommending that proper means of transport be provided for the sanitary officers. With such a report before them what could they do but bring down an open recommendation? He also said that Mr. L. S. Drake had. time after time, recommended the setting up of a proper transport department, with workshops, and a proper system of control of each and every vehicle, but no notice had been taken of the recommendations.

The city engineer said that he considered a motor vehicle was necessary for the use of tho sanitary officer. Indeed, he thought they had the right to debar such an officer from travelling on the tramears. The motor-car business could, he thought, be effectively organised. The recommendation was approved, Councillor Forsyth alone dissenting.