"STOP INTERFERING”

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 74, 21 December 1937, Page 7

"STOP INTERFERING”

Instruction To Mayor By Upper Hutt Council

UNANIMOUS RESOLUTION

By a unanimous vote the Upper Hutt Borough Council last night decided on the motion of Cr. J. Purvis, that it be an instruction from it that the mayor, Mr. A. J. McCurdy, stop interfering with the overseer, Mr. A. Golder, while he is carrying out the kerbing and channelling work. Cr. F. Castle declined to vote on the motion; all other councillors voted for it. “It i© absolutely impossible to get anything done in this borough in an orthodox manner because of your perpetual interference,” said Cr. F. P. Keys to the mayor. , Cr. Purvis, chairman of the works committee, who introduced the matter, said he objected to the mayor ’butting in” and telling the overseer what to do without the committee’s consent. An experienced engineer had put down the levels for the work some time ago, but the mayor now went along and said they were wrong. Tie then telephoned the engineer and got him to come to upper Hutt and alter the levels at one point at his suggestion. The engineer apparently thought the mayor’s opinion was the unanimous wish of the council and met it by making the necessary alterations. it was beyond all reason for the overseer to be “humbugged” by the mayor m this The mayor‘denied any interference with the overseer or an endeavour to influence the engineer to make any alterations. The engineer’s assistant had not observed an adjacent hollow in making levels and to follow the level made at this point would have placed the footpath six to eight inches higher than the existing footpath, lie had repeatedly called the attention of the works committee to the matter, but nothing was done.’ He telephoned the engineer in Wellington, who examined the levels when passing through. He did not at first feel inclined to make any alteration, but after a further examination came to the opinion that the footpath, at the point could be reduced three inches instead of placing it at the full height. The engineer’s assistant had done his work well, but had not observed the hollow which necessitated the. alteration. Cr. Purvis: It was done at your suggestion. Cr. Keys said the mayor had endeavoured to get Cr. Purvis and him to agree to have the engineer out to see the work at the point where it was altered. By hook or by crook the mayor was determined to have the alteration made. If that sort of thing was going to continue it would be foolish to have a qualified engineer to do the work and be over-ridden by the mayor as well as have underhand work going on. Cr. Castle moved that the matter be handled by the committee and the next business be proceeded with. This would be the better course to adopt. There w’as no seconder. Cr. Purvis put his motion, which was seconded by Cr. Keys and carried.