[ MEMBER RESIGNS

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 120, 17 November 1936, Page 12

[ MEMBER RESIGNS

A RATING REBATE

PROCEDURE CRITICISED

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

DARGAVILLE, This Day.

The action of a member of the Dargaville Borough Council in seeking on behalf of a client a rebate of overdue rates and then as a member of the rating committee urging that the rebate should be approved was the subject of a long discussion at the monthly meeting of the council last evening culminating in Councillor R. Gibson resigning his seat.

The matter came before the council when, a letter was received signed by Dargaville legal firms and supported by a deputation consisting of i.lessrs. F. S. Goulding and M. C. Astley. Mr. Goulding said that the letter which had been sent to the council was not directed personally against any member of the council or against the council as a whole. The only idea was to obtain just and fair treatment It had been a duty of all solicitors to apply for a remission of rates at times, but the applications were not always granted.

Mr. B. Berry, chairman of the rating committee, said that if no remission had been made in some cases the council would have continued to have these properties on the rate list with no prospect of getting the rates paid.

"I can bear out what Councillor Be\ry has said,"said Councillor Gibson. "The position of the rates is much better than it was. It has not been said, but I have been referred to, and it can be read that I made a charge of one and a half guineas for obtaining a rebate, but that is not true. The charge was made for legal service which I am not at liberty to make public." '■

"I am not going to remain a member of the rating committee until this matter is cleared up," said the Mayor. "Either Councillor Gibson pulls out or I do. As a solicitor he should have been in full possession of the facts and, if so, he should have given up those facts. He was not a solicitor in tha first case but he interested himself in the case and as a member of the committee he came to us and urged us to make a reduction. He should hava investigated the position before lie wrote to us as a solicitor. He did not use all the care he might have done before appealing for a reduction."

Councillor Gibson: The man laid certain facts before me and that was all I knew.

"Councillor Gibson acted wrongly in acting for a client and being on a body which adjudicated on the position," said the Mayor.

Councillor Gibson: I will tender my resignation right now.

The Mayor: That clears the position.

"This is a conspiracy as far as I am concerned, but I am not going to say that those here are amongst those behind it," said Councillor Gibson.

The Mayor moved that Councillor Gibson's resignation as a member of the rating committee be accepted. This was seconded by Councillor A. C. Paul and carried without dissent.

Councillor Gibson intimated that he was resigning from the council, and said he hoped they would find a worthy successor. He then withdrew.

Mr. McLean moved that in future no reduction of rates should be made until the question had been dealt with by the council. This was carried.