COUNCIL JOTTINGS.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 9342, 11 April 1893, Page 3

COUNCIL JOTTINGS.

(BY OUR HASTINGS COJIRESPONDENT ) Our Borough Council debates aro uol lively, but it is a pity that the ratepayers do not attend thorn ollener, as they would then see how their interests are looked after by a certain section of the Council, and would know whom not to vote for when they offer themselves for re-election, In the debate, or iather talk, wbich cropped up on the Heretaunga-road contract some gentlemen seemed to think that the only interests to b» considered were those of the contractors, and that the public had only to pay rates and hold its toogue. I have no doubt that those gentlemen acted with tlio best possible intentions, but that does not affect the fact that an important public road has been for some time kept in a dangerous state by the non-fulfilment of a contract, and that the penalty for sneb non-fulfilment has not been enforced. It is only fair to Crs. Fitzßsy, Linney, and Cross to state that they did their tjst to prevent the fiasco which took place, but unfortunately they were entvoted, and the result will be to confirm the impression which has for some time past prevailed among a certain class of contractors, that if they fail to comply with the terms of their contracts the penalty will not be enforced. The chairman put the matter in plain terms when be said : " If the Council takes too lenient a view of this matter, an unscrupulous man would tender and reckon on the leniency of the Council not to enforce the conditions of the contract." Under the circumstances, I suggest that the Council's specifications should be modified as follows : — "1. The provisions of this contract shall | be strictly enforced, except when the contractors or anybody else shall think it desirable to alter them. 2. The con- ,' tractors shall be required to complete their contract by the of , 189—, unless they shall be delayed by race days, or other holidays whioh they may think it • desirable to take for the benefit of their . health, or otherwise. 3. Although penalties are herein inserted for the look of the thing, It is understood that they shall in do case be enforced." The Council's contracts are not the only things made to be broken. There is a salutary rule that every motion shall be in writing. This, it enforced, would insure that a councillor shall under, stand exactly what he means to pro- | pose (which does not always seem, i to be the case at present), and that the other Councillors shall have the motion in his exact words. As it is, some Councillors get up with a vague idea that they want to propose something, stammer out some disjointed sentences, and then " tbe motion" (Heaven suve the mark !) is put, One Councillor is a great sinner in this . way. He begins with tolerable distinct- ] ness : " Your Worship, I fullj endorse " i (our friend h«s v weakness for line words of wbich he 3oes not understand the ' " meaning) "I fully endorse ihe remarks - wbich fell from Cr, , and I think that • ihe Council sbonld— " (here ht> is deserted by the vital energy which has sustained him thus far, nud subsides into an incoherent mumble). Theu his Worship brings him to the point: "Do you ? propose this as a nui'ion, Cr. ?" Then follows a soui.d something like "Yes, yer W'sh'p. I-er-mootbisasre-3lushnn ; " and the Mayor puts to the Council what he supposes Cr. to have intended to say. It seems to rue that a man who cannot or will not speak " plain, and who cannot pot bis resolution In writing, bas no bnsiness in the Council. [f Councillors would take the trouble to 1 ?o to the Council office the day before ■ She meeting, and there make themselves jcquainted with the business to be transacted, the next night they would jome to their deliberations with clearer ideas, and tbose of them who might feel j i little bashfulness in the matteis of writing and spelling, could get their little ] boys to write out the resolutions to be J brought forward. It may be, however, that the extra exertion involved in such prior attendance would tax too severely r the delicate constitutions ot some of the o poor dears and consign them to a prema- 5 ture grave, which would be a pity— for them, 2 I tbink that I have more than once beard Cr. foreman enlarge upon the necessity for " maintaining the dignity of ihe Council." Does he consider that one nay of performing this delicate operation is for a Councillor to sit while addressing the chair ? Or did he rely upon the wellknown forbearance of Mr FitzKoy to overlook a discourtesy which would have i 3rawn down a sharp reprimand from tbe Mayor ? Or was he (as well he might be) j ashamed to draw attention by rising to -I .he fact that he was speaking more than * )nce to the same motion ? Here be two a nore rules broken; but "it will all be :he same a hundred years hence."