BLACKBALL NOTES.

Grey River Argus, Volume LVII, Issue 10520, 30 January 1903, Page 4

BLACKBALL NOTES.

A meeting of the Blackball Borough Council — extraordinary proceedings — resignation of Mayor.

It has been tke subject of much comment that bo meeting of the above body has taken placg since the one several weeks ago, a full report of which appeared in these columns. It will be remembered that on that occasion a serious slip of 'greasy back pug/ en~ countered in the work connected with the cutting through the Paparoa, led to the hasty summoning of our Council to deliberate their future action in the best . interests of the borough. That meeting, after churning the milk of municipal oratory into the butter ef chaos and blows was hurriedly adjourned sine die. On Tuesday night, however, they met aijain and from cbvious signs it was apparent that something interesting was afoot. Present: — His Worship the Mayor (Chair), CrsPipson, Poppet McDuke, Leathering, Grimea and Gatling. Cr Poppefc stated that before the general business commented, he wished to call the attention ©f the chair and his brother councillors to the scandalous proceedings of a certain well known morning paper. He read several extracts from the morning's issue iv which the s >cred majesty of that corporate body, of which he was proud to be a member, had been ridiculed and condemned in a most scurrilous manner. Such things must not be. Let the law vindicate its own. His wife wasespeciullyhurt-.andher feelings roused. He therefore moved " that a posse of police immediately be despatched to the offices cf that reptile press, and that formal possession bo at onca taken of the premises and contents and se held during the Council's pleasure." Cr 1 leathering seconded the motion. Cr McDuke protested against such highhanded measures. He would like to know "Cries of 11 Sit down," " Hold your tongup," "Go borne." In'the midst of this diversion the motion was put a»d declared carried by the chair. Instructions were at once given to the police to put the notion into execution. His Worship, after beamiag genially all round, called upon the Town Clerk to read the different tenders, -which had been reeeivedj; for the erection on the South Beach of a municipal bathing machine,' ©f such beauty and dimensions as were commensurate with the dignity of the Council in particular and the importance of the Borough in general. Th^n Town Clerk, in obedience to this request from the chair, then read the following tenders : — Gimlet and Towel, L 32,170. Soapsuds and Brushman, L 29.348. Wheeler and Fanshaw, L 27,500. James Oysterbed, L 16,210. Hardtack and Grafter, LI 1,140. It was noticeable that these figures produced an effect, which must be called electrical, upon the majority of those present. Cr Grimes said he was sorry to see disappointment on some faces, but he would remind them that big as the figures were he did not think the money could be expended to better purpose. The hot weather was upon them — the machine was a. necessity. London, New York, Berlin, St Petersburg, all th* big cities had a municipal bathing machine. Ir, was a crying reproach to the Council that none existed in their own Borough. He advised that Messrs Soapsuds and Brusimian's tender of L 29,000 odd be ucceptf-d. He was personally acquainted with the thoroughness of this firm's work. Only a year ago they had put up som« rabbit hutches for him in every detail satisfactory. In reply to, a question Hi* "Worship stated that their own official's estimate for th»» building was L 9.000. Cr Gat ing would like to ask the Town Clerk upon what model he^ had based his plans. The Town Cieik replied that the plans were partly original and partly based upon early manuscript sketches of Kins; Solomon's Temple: Jhe design of the inlaid ivory towelracks was similar to those used by Cleopatra. Cr McDuke wished to know how much money the Council had in handNo notice being taken of this question, Cr McDuke repeated it in a louder voice. Still no reply from the chair. Thereupon one of the junior officials said "Two pounds seven and. . . ." His sentence renmined unfinished, fo»' at i his moment His Worship hit him on the hea<l with the minute book and he subsided. But Cr McDuke, pregnant with volcanic wath, was not to be denied. Thundering forth his epithets, stagmaiised ih* whole policy of the Council nfi one of wanton extravagance. Was there to be no end, he asked, of these ridiculous schemes — no 4* Wt to their spendthrift career 1

• Had they no regardffor tne generations which were t» be ? Should their children and their children's children, under the burden of taxation they were laying, rise up in the afterward and curse their memory 1 Little by little he beat down the. epposiiien of his hearers — it became less active, grew passive and finally disappeared. The moments sped by unheeded, he launched invective after invective at their h«ads. The inspiration of his word* stole its way into the consciences of his listeners. They were spell bound and pliant in his hands. Seizing his opportunity and with a magnificent peroration Cr MeDuke moved that the elaborate and ornate plans be torn up and ecattered to the winds and a, plain deal structuie erected instead. In vain the chair stormed — in vain the T»wn C.'erk proposed that he should run outside and have a chat with the lowest tenderer (who was waiting). He was sure it could bo arranged satisfactorily. In such gigantic works it was impossible to be accurate within a thousand or so limit. Too late. The motion of Cr McDuke was put and carried while in ' a storm of uproar. His Worship, shaking his fisb ominously, laid his resignation on the table and left thrs room.