SUBURBAN COUNCILS. LAST NIGHT'S MEETINGS. PETONE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 63, 12 September 1911, Page 4

SUBURBAN COUNCILS. LAST NIGHT'S MEETINGS. PETONE.

'i Last night's meeting of th^ Petono j Borough Council was attended by the Mayor (Mr. J. W. M'Ewan) and Coun- , ciflors J. W. List, J} Wakeham, C. P. i '■Brocklebank, W. Cox, W.G. Lodder, S. WBttrrldge, W, Trueman, and. J. Piper. - • i , * The committee of the Hutt Valley United Firemen's Competition waa ! , granted the use of the Recreation j Ground for its annual gathering on Labour Day, the 23td October. In/ reply to the council, the secretary Ot thb Wellington Harbour Board state.l that; the board's .engineer had been instructed to make suitable arrangements as, soon aft possible for continuing the lighting of the Pe'tone wharf. A plumber, whose license had been suspended, attended and submitted a lengthy explanation. This the council decided to accept, the embargo against his license being removed. TO IMPROVE JACKSON-STREET. A petition was to hand from thirteen business people of Jackson-street^ asking the council to continue the tarring of that roadway as far as Buick-street. The Borough Engineer (Mr. A. Cowie) wa« instructed to report upon the cost of laying the surface down in asphalt, which course wae strongly advocated by Councillor Piper. Permission was sought by a resident to utilise the borough water supply for the purpose of driving a water-motor. The application was refused, it being pointed out that if it was favourably entertained Hhe council would be swamped wfthjsimilar demands, which in dry season» v the reservoir could not cope with. ' DRIVERS' WAGES. The question of wages of driver* was , thoroughly gone into upon a notice of mbtfcm rescinding a previous resolution, .and paving. the way. for discussion, being carried on Councillor Brocklebank' s initiative. Prior to making An application for a rise of sixpence per day at a previous meeting of the- council, the men had been in receipt of £2 8s for a forty-four hours' week. In declining tO/ grant the increase, the, council decided 'to pay the drivers time and a quarter for all overtime worked. ■ Shortly after ' the council's decision came intoj operation > the Borough Engineer required the Wen one day to commence work at 7.45 a.m. This they, point-blank refused to^do, •with the result that the whole question of wages and hours was reviewed at last night's meeting. In order tooring matters*, to a head, Councillor Brockle- ; .bftrik moved, and Councillor List seeis,nd4d,' ihat the men be granted a 47£■hofor 1 week at a-wage of £2 lls. Several councillors spoke strongly against the motiorf, stating that the council had done its best to Impfove the men's condition, only to be 6penly flouted. Mad a private employer been placed in the same position as the engineer, he would have immediately dispensed with the men s services. It wa9 also stated that tho men wished, to pick .the eyes out of thedrivers' award, and yet refused to at'Cept it hi f till. Accordingly, an amend-, ment was carried, on Councillor Loader's initiative, to "the effaftt that in future the men be made to work under the 'award in regard to wages, hours. -overtime, preference to unionists, and every other point that might crop up for consideration, By ,being bound down hard and fast to the award it means that instead of £2 8a the men will receive £2 7s, and have to work longer hours— 47^ per week in place of 44, worked when the council observed no award.