OFFICERS AT CONFERENCES

Evening Star, Issue 21634, 1 February 1934, Page 2

OFFICERS AT CONFERENCES

QUESTION OF EXPENSE DISCUSSION AT COUNCIL MEETING When Cr Campbell moved tbe adoption of tbe Tramways Committee’s report at last night’s meeting of the City Council Cr Jones moved as an amendment that the clause to the effect that the tramways manager be authorised to attend the next meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Tramway Conference to he held in Sydney on March 19 be deleted. Cr Jones said that in 1930 the tramway manager went to Brisbane to attend a conference. He could not see any justification for sending the officer away again after only three years. Since the manager had returned from the last conference Cr Jones had failed to see any improvements in the tramways. Seconding the amendment, Cr Silverstone said it was necessary to send an officer to such a conference only once in every ten years. The buses here hardly ever paid, and the trams had certainly not been improved in the last three years, Cr Begg said that he had every confidence in the tramway manager. Twelve months ago the speaker had returned from Australia, and he was convinced that the manager had nothing to learn from the other side. If he went to Sydney ho would learn that the fare from the Stock Exchange to Frederick street should he 2d. There had been no reports of a decline in tbe revenue of the department, but. bad there been no increase it wotild have been reported. If tbe manager .went

to Sydney it would cost the department £SO, and ho maintained that that amount could be better spent round the town. Large firms sent their representatives abroad to get additional knowledge, said Cr Marlow, and they benefited by it. In this case he-had no hesitation in supporting the proposal to send the manager to Sydney. ; A' conference of men in responsible positions brought about a great deal of good, was the opinion expressed by Cr Campbell, who said he anticipated that the Sydney tramway manager, who had, just returned_lrqm England, would impart sonic useful information. The amendment was lost, those voting for it being Crs Jones, Borne, Silverstone, and Begg. and against Crs M'lndoe, Scott, Marlow. Shacklock, Sheppard, and Campbell. The report was then adopted. A similar clause in the Gas Committee’s report recommended that the chairman (Cr Scott) be authorised^ to attend the next conference of the Gas Institute of New Zealand, to be held at Invercargill on February.*!. Ine works staff would be represented by the assistant gas engineer (Mr H. Horr°The "question was raised whether the department intended to pay the expenses of the assistant engineer. Cr Jones said he would like to sec Ins expenses paid. . The Mayor: We are not paying the expenses of the assistant engineer, but the chairman’s expenses will be met. Cr Jones: I don’t think it fair. We should not let certain departmental officers go, paying the expenses of some and not of others. . . It was explained that in this instance the officer in question had asked permission to attend the conference. Cr Marlow said that the usual course was for the chairman and the engineer to go In this case the engineer had asked to go, hut not at the department’s expense. ...... Cr Silverstone understood that the assistant engineer had something important to say at the conference, and therefore the department should pay his expenses. ■ , , . Cr M'lndoe agreed that his expenses should be found, and Cr Scott said that it would be a gracious act to pay. It was wise to allow an officer to go to gain extra information. The report was then adopted, it being left to the chairman to decide whether or not the officer’s expenses would be allowed.