ELTHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 3 July 1924, Page 5

ELTHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL.

/♦ ' ■ / SPECIAL MEETING. GAS WORKS MANAGER’S RESIGNATION. (From Our Own -Correspondent.) A .special meeting of- the Borough Council was held last evening to consider the resignation of. the gas works manager (Mr W. Heyes). The Mayor..(Mr G. W. Tayler) presided, and called upon the Town Clerk to ’read the resignation- and the necessary three months’ notice terminating the agreement. The gas manager stated that he did not intend to accept the reduced rate of pay during the three moAths of notice. V The Mayor moved that the resignation be accepted. Cr VNairn seconded. 1 1 Cr Bridger stated that he could not do‘ anything -else, than -support..the- motion, but regretted the pro'ceedihgs that led up to the resignation'. He did not approve of the reduction in salary decided upon at the last meeting. It was an unfortunate time, to have 'the gas department., disorganised by..changes in the staff,-etc:, when there /was keen competition with the electric light. The motion, was, then puf .. and declared carried. Cr Bridger then moved That the gas manager lie paid the rate' of pay prevailing prior to the resolution/to reduce the salary passed at the last meeting, providing that he ; carry oil -with the present staff for the three remaining months. ... __ The Mayor seconded pro forma, and said that the gas manager had approached him for an extra stoker, for the remaining period, and he had advised him to carry on with the present staff, but that he would refer the matter to the council for a decision. Cr Clement said that he would support the motion, as he considered the manager was entitled to it, as he was doing extra work at the works owing to the reduction in the staff decided upon previously. He stressed the point that the council had no complaints with the ability of the manager to produce good gas, etc., and it appeared to him that the reduction in salary decided on at the last meeting, was a big mistake. Cr Carter said that he would support the motion, provided he carried on with, the present staff. Cr Nairn opposed the motion on the grounds that he considered the letter was a threat, and thought that the reduction in salary should start from the date the resolution was carried. Cr Campbell thought that it would be better to pay the previous salary for the three months than to engage the extra stoker for the time. The resolution was then put and carried. PARKING OF CARS. Cr Campbell brought up the matter of parking cars near the danger zone in Bridge street, and said that a time limit should be placed on cars standing within the zone, and moved accordingly. . Cr Bridger, in seconding, said he did not \vant the town to be so exacting as some of our neighbouring towns were in these matters, yet he considered the resolution was a good one, applicable as it was to this section only." Cr Carter said that he was not in favour of allowing cars to remain withiff the zone at all, .and they should he parked outside.

The Mayor said that he was pleased to see. the cars in the streets, which indicated that the town was busy; at the same time it was necessary to see that there was no danger caused. He considered a 15-minute limit sufficient. The motion .was carried,' and the council adjourned.