COBDEN TOWN BOARD

Grey River Argus, 29 July 1925, Page 6

COBDEN TOWN BOARD

NOMINATIONS FOR BYELECTION. To fill th© seat on the Cobden Town Board rendered vacant by rhe retirement of Mr. Brailsford, an election is being held on Wednesday next August sth, for which file nominations closed yesterday at noon. These are as follows :— Marley, Richard Turley, Frederick Lovell Wisbey, James Liddiard The nominators were: For Mr Turley. Messrs Jasper, Jeffries and A. Sealmer. For Mr Wisbey, Messrs T. Spencer an I .X'. W. Kittelty; for Mr Marley, Messrs O. 11. Brailsford ami I’. Roche. THE HOSPITAL BOARD VACANCY. (To the Editor). Sir, —I notice, in your issue of yesterday, a reply to '‘Britisher"’ by Mr A. G. Gunn, Chairman of the Cobden Town Board. Mr Gunn, firstly, deals with the resignation of the Rev. Parnell, which occurred back in toe dim and distant past, and thereby infers that the Hospital Board should have notified his Board of the .extraordinary vacancy, which, of course, is absurd. Mr Gunn then deals with the appointment of Mr Grams liy a previous Board, and infers that, that appointment established a precedent which should be followed. All those who know anything about that appointment know very- well it should not have been made; and a mistake made by a previous Board does not justify the present Board perpetuating the error; and

possibly, like the other Board, they are perpetuating an error, knowing full well that to do so, is lowering the standard of our public morals, to say the least of it, particularly when they are doing it to prevent the wish of the electors (as will be indicated on Wednesday next) from being carried out. Mr Gunn says: “It is unfortunate that the Board at present is composed of onlv five members, but had the I Board known, at their last meeting, that the vacancy on the Hospital Board could bo filled only by appointment, then the business would have been fin ished there and then, and saved me unnecessary limelight. No doubt. Mi Gunn does not like the limelight! People on public bodies do not like limelight, if there is anything unfair or shady to be done, which they maybe associated with. Possibly Mr Gunn would sooner have everything done behind closed doors where no shadow of suspicion could be thrown on him as an individual, but could only be thrown on the whole Board. W hat I consider 'a “thin’’ explanation, is when Air j Gun.i further says that after July 31 .the Board will have lost its opportunity; hence the special meeting to make the way clear for the appointment! For sheer lack of candour, or else ignorance. this beats the band, as to state this is absolutely wrong. The position is that, in the event of the Board failing to make an appointment in two mouths, the Governor may make the I appointment. This is the part that

hurts, ns Mr Gunn knows that the Governor would appoint the next on ths list, who happens to be myself. I would like Air Gunn to be honest, mid state definitely if this is not the bee that lias its sting in! If Air Gunn can openly say mid prove this by his actions, then I will withdraw any unkind rtmai-ks that I have made. All 1 desire is for Air Gunn to be fair, and show that my suspicion over the urgency of the special meeting is wrong, and that he has no desire to do anything unfair. In conclusion. Air Editor. I think the correct thing for the two members of the Board who wished to do the I'ifjkt thing at the last jueetkig is to stop away from the meeting to-night and thereby prevent the other three from holding the meeting till the new Board is elected. I am, etc., F. L. TURLEY.