DISLOYALTY ALLEGED

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 December 1939, Page 3

DISLOYALTY ALLEGED

BOROUGH COUNCIL INCIDENT. BLENHEIM. December 8. ' A special meeting of the Blenheim Borough Council last evening came to a sensational end when, alter remarks alleging disloyalty on l he part of one councillor had been made, the Mayor i Mr. C. T. Smith) appealed for support on ruling what remarks should be withdrawn. He did not receive it. and promptly adjourned the meeting and left tile council room. The meeting was called to consider (he future policy of the council in engineering administration, and early in ihe debate the standing orders were suspended to allow the councillors the opportunity of free discussion. Everything went smoothly until one councillor. replying to an interjection, referred to an allegedly disloyal reI mark, which he said had been made by another councillor at a meeting of a committee held a week previously. The Mayor rose to restore order, but two councillors remained' on their feel and made remarks about "someone who ought to be behind barbed ! wire." This caused a rowdy scene, and the Mayor insisted that the remark .should lie withdrawn and an apology given, but he met with a refusal. He then asked councillors to stand behind the ruling, warning them llmt be would prorogue the meeting, j but there was no response and iminel dial ely (lie Mayor look the action he had threatened. After the Mayor had left the chamber several of the councillors kept, on talking ami for several minutes there was a rowdy scene. At last the councillors went on their ways and the meeting dispersed. The result of the proroguing of Ihe meeting is that the original motion, which, suggested a change in the poli r .j for borough <ngineering, cannot be considered unless ami until a further special meeting is called-