Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, AUGUST 13th, 1921. WORK—AND THIRST.

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 August 1921, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, AUGUST 13th, 1921. WORK—AND THIRST.

Most Greymoutli ratepayers must have rubbed their eyes, yesterday, after reading the report in the “Star” of the discussion by Borough Councillors regarding the advisability of Borough employees being* dismissed if found under the influence of drink when on duty. The employees, themselves, took a right view of the situation, when they asked that a resolution to' that effect should be agreed to by the Councillors. The honest employee is the chief sufferer when another worker is not in a fit condition to do the job he is. paid to do, as not only does the stigma reflect unjustly on the sober man, but he is called upon to hide the delinquencies of the offender. Dismissal should, follow drunkenness in such circumstances as a matter of course: no special resolution' should be necessary, and if Hhe Engineer has at present no power to save the ratepayers’ pockets, he should be given it immediately. The attitude of Cr Doogan was passing strange. He could not, surely, have meant all he said, but musthave been inebriated by the exuberance of his own verbosity. He admitted that a Borough employee had no right to get drunk duiring* working hours, but apparently, SO 1 long as it was not done too often, Cr Doogair-had no serious objection. Very tew of those he was sent to the Coun-

cil to represent will agree with him. The Borough funds are not in such flourishing' condition that ocasional sprees by an employee are of no consequence. What the private employer would not put up with, neither should a public body- We have no doubt that the great majority of the Borough employees give a fair return for their wages, and their efforts to preserve a high standard should be assisted. The worker whose thirst over-powers his inclination to toil might be excused for thinking that encouragement is given him by some of the Councillors. The discussion < at the

previous meeting of the Council on the same subject did not adhere too strictly to the lines ratepayers would desire. After all, it is the ratepayers’ money that is being squandered when time is spent at the hotel, that should be reserved for the job. • If the Council does not adopt a common-sense attitude on the question, the offending* employees will soon be applying for subsidies to> pay their liquor bills. Cr Williams deserves the thanks of the ratepayers and the steady employees for the action he has taken regarding this matter, and it is really astounding that he should meet with opposition in his attempt to' place municipal employment on a proper footing. The IJeputy-Mayor’s ruling that notice of motion was necessary if there was one objector cannot be disputed, but the ratepayers are entitled to express surprise that one such objection was forthcoming. AVhat sort of a reputation would Greymouth get if it were known throughout the Dominion that the Borough Councillors were not yet unanimous as to whether any of its employees had the right to get drunk occasionally whilst on duty? AVhat w’ould Greymouth people say if any other municipality hesitated over a similar problem? It is to be hoped that the good name of the Borough, and the intelligence of its rulers will be fully preserved and demonstrated by the Council at its next meeting 1 , by the unanimous passing of Cr Williams s motion, and the immediate passing out thereafter of any municipal employee who forgets what is due to the town, and his more upright colleagues.