COUNCIL CRITICISED

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 46, 18 November 1925, Page 8

COUNCIL CRITICISED

ALLEGATIONS AT LOWER HUTT . RATEPAYERS ISSUE DEMANDS Certain actions of the Lower Hutt Borough Council have led to a .quickening of interest in municipal politics on the part of the ratepayers, and the calling of a meeting by the Civic Association resulted in the Lyceum Theatre being packed to the doors last night, fully 4UO people being present. Mr. C. A. Strong, president of the Civic Association, explained that the meeting had been called to place before the ratepayers certain information respecting the council’s action in regard to the dismissal of an employee, the alleged unfair treatment ot another, and the resignation of a third. Mr. Strong read a letter from the Mayor (Mr. W. T. Strand), who was unable to be present, and letters from a number of councillors who did not attend.

The president said that he wished to take up the case of Mr. Collins, the borough foreman, first. On August 3, the question of an increase in salary was considered by a committee of the council. The following morning Mr. Collins met the Mayor, who informed him that his increase was not granted. Mr. Collins was not on duty at the time, and an argument ensued. The matter was brought before the council, and Mr. Collins was eventually suspended, his services being dispensed with as from August 20. There was a doubt as to what Mr. Collins had said, and in a court of law the Mayor’s statement as to what took place would not have been accepted in preference to the other man’s, when it was just one man’s word against another’s. Mr. Strong proceeded to read a testimonial to Mr. Collins, bearing the seal of the council. Ex-Councillor J. Brassel: There are a lot of them about. I voted against them. A voice in the audience: Would it not have been better to have placed both sides of the case before the meeting i ■ Councillor Meldrum then rose to his feet, and said that it would take seven hours to place the whole position before the meeting. There were four charges against Collins since the certificate had been issued. He was censured on one charge, suspended for a month on another, and deprived of certain privileges on the third. A voice in the rear of the hall: I move that Collins be reinstated, and that the other man and the councillors be kicked out. Another member of the audience moved that the council's action be endorsed, and that a vote of confidence be accorded the council. . Few cared to express their views, but the motion was declared carried. The president then went on to deal with the case of Mr. E. J- Barnes, the borough engineer. It was pointed out that Mr. Barnes was still in the employ of the council, but that an engineer had been advertised for, and Mr. Barnes had not been successful in obtaining the appointment. M.r. Strong explained the engineer’s qualifications, and read a number of testimonials as. to his reliability and efficiency, including one from the Hutt Borough Council. 1 hey had, he said, an engineer who held down jobs and gave satisfaction elsewhere. Why couldn’t he please the Hutt ? A voice: We’ve fjot a more efficient council. (Laughter.) Mr. Barnes, the speaker edntmued, had previously had a similar indignity suggested that £B5O, the salary offered for an engineer, as advertised for, was too high. A few vears ago they were only paving £4OO. " Another speaker suggested that the council’s official records should have been investigated before the matter as placed before the public. He believed that the council dared not treat a man as had been suggested. He panted to know whether the Civic Association • was prepared to fully investigate the counrecords and place the whole matte before a meeting in the 7 own Hall, the council was’ then found wanting, it manner. If the council, on the otner hand, could justify its position, it was “1“ s«Xg°SS «>= and councillors had been asked to atfelt justified in placing the case, as it was known, before the ratepayers. Mr. Willis moved that the . cou ”“. h asked to take no further action in the appointment of an engineer PJ* should decide the question. Cmith In seconding the motion Mr. Smith said that thev merely, had bala fact . There did not appear to be any just hns t! °wlffie r Sere '"red 0 to be notheir actions, otherwise it would be assumed that they could not justify their acsuggested that a deputation of ratepavers should wait on the council at its next meeting, as a resolution Hom the present meeting would onl- find its wav to the dust box. '•inc statement led to an indignant chorus of disapproval, several speakers advancing the opinion that such an acHon would show what the conned thought of the ratepayers. , „ n Mr. Dvkes: The council has done a lot of floundering. It has done things vou know nothing about, and I m in a position to prove it. Mr. Forsvth pointed out that the council had previously refused to receive deputations cil the matters under < C “We are losing'the best town clerk we’ve had. There’s something wrong, crene from another part of the hall. yfter further discussion the motion of Mr. Willis was carried unanimously. The meeting then adjourned until a later date, when it will be resumed in the Lower Hutt Town Ha >. 'flie president expressed the hope that the' Mavor and councillors would accept the motion and attend at the meeting to state their case.