MUNICIPAL WORK. UP THE HILL.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 21, 25 July 1910, Page 8

MUNICIPAL WORK.

UP THE HILL.

♦ QUESTION OF CONTRACTS. A RECENT RESOLUTION CRITICISED. A recent resolution of the City Council, extending, so far as Wellington is concerned, one of the provisions of the Municipal Corporations Act relating to the disqualification of councillors, has caused a certain amount of feeling on the part of councillors affected. The provision in the Act at present (clause H, section 42) disqualifies — "Any person concerned or participating (other than as shareholder in an incorporated company or in an association or partnership consisting of more than twenty persons) in any contract with or work to be done, or the supply of goods for tho council, if the payment of such contract or work or snpply exceeds five\ pounds for any one contract, or work or supply, or ten pounds altogether in any year if more than one contract or work or supply." To this the Crown Law Draftsman (Mr. T. JolHffe) has added the following footnote : — The provision that a councillor should not be disqualified by reason of a company of which he was a shareholder entering into a contract with the council was doubtless a sufficient safeguard so long as the law required that the shareholders of a company should not be less than seven in number. The Companies Act, 1903, however, introduced a new kind of company which might consist of the councillor and his wife, or of two councillors. A contract between a council and a private company of this kind would be manifestly improper, but is not contrary to law. It is very desirable that legislation should be passed declaring that private companies under Part V. of the Companies Act, 1908, do not come within tho meaning of "incorporated company" for .the purposes of this section. The resolution of the City Council was, on the motion of Councillor Atkinson, as follows:— (1) "That in the opinion of this Council paragraph 1 of section 42 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1908, relating to the disqualification of Councillors should be amended so that the exemption therein contained will read as follows : — Other than as a shareholder in an incorporated company, which contains more than 20 members and is not a private company, and of which such person is not a director or the general manager or secretary." (2) "That pending such alteration in the law of this Council should decline to accept any tender or to enter into any contract with any company in which a councillor is a shareholder, and which does not come within the exception above set out." Such was the resolution carried by the City Council. It was a remit to the Municipal Conference, which carried a similar resolution. This was submitted to the Prime Minster by the delegates in a deputation and may become part of the Amending Bill to "Tho Municipal Corporations Act." A FAR-REACHING DECISION. Councillor T. Ballinger, of the Wellington City Council, whose firm is affected by the resolution, iv an interview with a Post reporter to-day, summed up the effect of the resolution as disqualifying for a seat on the Council any shareholder in any company with less than twenty shareholders, and any director, general manager., or secretary, no matter how many shareholders there might be in the company. "The chief argument," said Mr. Ballinger, "that 'was used in the Council and also at the Municipal Conference, was against tho private company — that is a Councillor and his wife or two Councillors. But the resolution thst was passed Has a far wider scope, as it distinctly disqualifies a director, general manager, or secretary of any company. I explained at the .Council meeting how far reaching the motion was — how it would debar the then Mayor (Dr. Newman) from holding his seat, if the Gear Company, of which I understand, he was a director, supplied goods to the Council. And take the Wellington Gas Company. Some years ago a director of this company was also a councillor. If the preseait resolution «had been in fom> then, the Gas Company would have been debarred from supplying gas, tar or coke to the Council. It practically means that no director of the Gajs Company or any other big company supplying goods to the Council can sit on the City Council. Why, no director or manager of a newspaper company doing printing and advertising for the City Council can be selected a oouncillor. "What is the effect? Simply this: It debars from public service some of the best men for that service. A director or manager of a company is usually a man with a certain amount of leisure — probably he can safely take more than most people — certainly more than pro--fessional men. He is usually a man of wide business experience, used to handling large sums of money, and in every way fitted to give the "public life of the community the benefit of his knowledge and experience. You would debar the very man you want as aya v councillor. I certainly think, quite apart from any personal interest ' I may have in this matter, that the resolution is not in the best interests of the city." Councillor Ballinger added that his own company was registered under the old Act with twelve shareholders, and was formed long ' before he became a member of the City Council. It was not at all a private company, as described in Mr. Jolliffe's note to the clause in the Municipal Corporations Act. Councillor J. ,P. Luke, M.P., also declared that he had already spoken on the matter in Parliament, and, when the Bill came before the House, would have something to say then. In the meantime he preferred not to discuss the matter.

An extraordinary incident is related by a correspondent of the Brisbane Courier. A black cat was accidentally shut un in the refrigerator of an Australian liner going , Home. When it was discovered some distance on the voyage it was turned into a white cat — that is, its hair had turned ■white. It was an apparently trifling incident, but ma> have a really scientific significance. The Darwinian theory is that the whiteness of most animals in the Polar regions is due to protective mimicry of the white landscape, which enables them the, more easily to elude their enemies. The impression given by Darwin's protective adaptation theory is that the white environment in some way forces this change of colour upon the animals as a helfj to them in their struggle for existence. Well, this cat incident shows that cold in itself has the effect of clianging a black cat into a white one without any factor of mimicry or concorn for existence, which probably would have been soon ended if the refrigerator atmosphere had been compulsory much longer to the cat. A problem of temperature and colour is suggested by this incident, not only as regards animals, but men. apart from mimicry or existence, in the Darwinian sense, and the cab regained its natural colour after getting -back- to the ordinary temperature.

WADESTOWN TRAM-TRACK. WHAT THE PICKS HAVE DONE. When it was decided tha,t Wadestown -should have a tram service, and the in* evitable preliminaries were put in order, the then Mayor (Dr Newman) inaugurated tho tramway extension on Wednesday, 27th April, by turning the first j sod at a point just above Goldie's | Brae, on the Highland Park estate. The track really begins at Parkstreet, but the work' of construction may be said to have begun where Dr. New- ' mail turned the turf. On that day the then 'Mayor received as a memento of What is anticipated will prove to be a truly developmental undertaking, a presentation silver pick. Since then there have been other picks of a more utilitarian nature afc work, and the result so far should be pleasing to the Wadestown ratepayers. There are lines down already; not tram rails, of course,' but the dirt trucks are making good use of the lines and the noble equines that lend willing limbs and shoulders. The first cut is immediately below Mrs. Rhodee's residence, and overlooking as blue a sea (this morning) as ever was. Here, with a non-communicative overseer, one had to bring lay observation to bear. The gang of about thirty men are tearing a track through the gener-ously-grassed hill,- which has suffered much at the hands and tools of men. The truck tracks are no places for- patent leathers just now, thanks to the late downpours, but in the cut itself working conditions appear quite normal. The first gang has worked round two corners out of sight of the harbour, and have put their teeth deeply into the bill facing in the direction of tSe suburb which -sits on the hilltops (and lower down) waiting the buzz of the electric cars. The trucks are putting the earth in the deep gully immediately under the beginning of the excavations, and many tone (or cubic yards)- of good hillside have gone over into the hollow. There is a second gang over the brow of the hill from No. 1, in the Highland Park estate. Signs and indications point to the good work of men, trucks, and horses here. The second lot is engaged at present in filling uo a shallow gully at the rear of Airs. Rhodes' s residence. The cut already has reached quite a noticeable distance into the hummock, and the soil is finding & resting place in the hollow. Here, too, on the level ' the track is sloppy enongh for Wellington boots, but a bright sun overhead was getting in some good work. Further on, a small span, operations are being conducted below the curve of the Wadestown main road as it turns up to the top of the hill. -Here are more excavations for there is another small defile to be spanned. The track just above the spot sidles under the brow of the road, in one place so closely, that a portion ,of the road bank has come away. It is understood that a concrete retaining wall will be built hereabouts to carry the face of the roadside. The present terminus of the proceedings is in Mr. Lowe's garden.