PORT CHALMERS BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 10340, 14 June 1897, Page 3

PORT CHALMERS BOROUGH COUNCIL.

TO TUB EDITOR. Sir, —When I complained that your report of the meeting of this Council was unfair, I meant that it was unfair to myself because it was incomplete. I have no doubt that your reporter does his best under the circumstances, but everyone knows that only a shorthand reporter could tell us all that took place word for word. I would not for a moment suggest that the reports were wilfully “cooked” to suit the mayor. However, in all this dust that has been kicked up about the report wo must not lose sight of the first cause of the trouble—namely, that at a full meeting of the Council on 15tb May the mayor behaved in such an extraordinary manner that half of the Council—s x councillors—walked out of the chamber. Surely this fact speaks for itself. The mayor says the words he used were not unfit for publication. At all events, they were most disgusting and most offensive words. He makes not even an attempt to defend bis conduct at the same meeting in tearing open a document that the Council had deliberately resolved was not to be opened. As for M‘Lachlan’s lease, I repeat that it is a matter of too much importance to the ratepayers for public discussion, although the mayor evidently does not think so. The Reserves Committee, of which I am a member, have been unanimous in dealing with it. It is our duty to look after the interests of the town, and that is all we are striving to do. In conclusion, let me say that 1 am not frightened by the mayor’s threat that I have got myself into u “ hornet’s nest. ” However tit and ready the mayor may be to play the leading part, 1 have ray doubts about the other councillors playing the “ nest.”—l am, etc.. Wm. Sutto.v. Port Chalmers, June 11.