HYDRO-ELECTRIC BOARD.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 316, 31 January 1922, Page 6

HYDRO-ELECTRIC BOARD.

QUESTION OF CHAIRMANSHIP. ! STRANGE DEMAND TO MAYOR. SWORDS CROSSED AT COUNCIL. TABLE. The principle involved in the attitude of ex-Councillor Crabb, chairman of the Hydro-Electric League, > in allegedly refusing to be nominated for membership on the Manawatu-Oroua Power Board unless he had the assurance that he would be elected to the chairmanship of that bo.ly, formed the basis of a breezy discussion at last night's meeting of the Palmerston North Borough Council. The mater was broached by Cr. M. H. Oam, who crossed swords with the Mayor (Mr J. A. Nash, M.P.). through stating that it was understood that his Worship-who already held as many offices as he could do justice to—would accept the position of chairman if it were offered to nim. The upshot of a long .iiscussbn was that a motion bv Cr. Cram recommending the Minister lo appoint Mr Crabb to the Boar.! as representative of the Council was defeated, on a division.

[ jCa din ß up to his point Cr. Oram said ! that there was a tremendous amount ■ ! of work ahead of the board in organ is- . in.r its administration and in getting I everVthin-r in readiness or the coming , of the power which the Minister assured i would be available before the end o 5 The work of the hu.nl would larijelv devolve on the shoulders ol its chairman, wh(> would, in orflev to (msmr | I success, have to devote practical , iu< j whole of his time to the won.. ne| understood that a certain genllom.. who would have otherwise stood to P l oC tion on the board did not stiml hr.ai.se it was understood hat lie Mavor himself would accept the |.osm tion of chairman it it were oil.-no to j hi The Mayor (Mr J. A.Nash. M.IM:, "Who said so? . . , ! Cr. Oram: I said it was imdetstood The Mavor: Hum yon slmnhl not. make the statement unless yo ivo it ! from me. CR. ORAM'S QUESTIONS. Cr "ram: Nevertheless i would ask you to give an indication as to whether von arc to accept tnc position of chairman or not ; but before Asking vou to make a statement as to that J want to ask you one or .wo questions. One of the chief Inetors in Hastening the advent of electricity has been the Hydro-Electric League, ol which .Air Crabb is chairman Ihe natural corollary, continued Cr. Oram, was thai Air Crabb should go from the chairmanship of the league :•• Nip chairmanship of the hoard. I nlortulmtely it would seem that this was not ; likelv to happen, and it would be very ill-advised to lose the valuable services of Mr Crabb, "assuming." added the speaker, " that you are. not going to. ' The .Mayor:' You are assuming. Don't make a statement before you are Kiire of your facts. Cr. Oram: 1 said it was understood. .. The Mayor: How was if understood f A QUALIFIED CANDIDATE. Cr. Oram: Supposing you let me finish. . . The loss' of Cr. Crnbh's services would be not only to the board hut to the whole district. Assuming you art' not going to take the chairmanship. I shall move that it be a recommendation to the .Minister that Mr Crabb bo appointed to fill the vacancy upon the board. ■ 1 lcimW you : will excuse me speaking -like this, when it Beems that* enormous worker as you are. it would be impossible for you to fill all the responsible position;? which vou hold. Cr.'Oram here enumerated Various offices held by the Mayo:', find continuing remarked: "I feel that il is one man's job to run the power hoard. I feel that your nostrum as Mavor should not he jeopardised by your assuming this other position. I don't know whether ham breaking a confidence, but it was from Mr Crabb that I understood that you would be asked to accent the position. I may be wrong"— The Mayor: That is the hist I have heard of it. . Cr. Oram: That being so 1 take it that you have no objection to giving me an indication as to—'.'GO ON WITH YOUi; STORY!" The .Mayor: Well, you will have no indication at all, so go on with your fctorv! Cr. Oram then moved the motion be had previously indicated, recommend' ing the Minister to nominate Mr Crabb. Speaking to his motion he -said: Ji it is carried 1 wish it to be understood that it is an indication that the chairmanship of the boardyshonld be assumed by Mr Crabb and not by yourself. Cr. E. V. West seconded the motion. Cr. F. Jackson immediately rose in opposition to the motion. "We can." he remarked, "come to only one conclusion, and that is that Mr Crabb is a very capable man, and has done a lot of good work, but he is only prepared j to accept nomination on condition that he is elected chairman. The .Mayor: With which we have nothing to do. Cr. Jackson: 1 maintain that a man, no matter what he has done, or what he nay be. has no; right to say to any body ol men. or any electors, that he is prepared to accept nomination ol any particular board to carry out any /. particular duty, onh provided he is placed at the bend of affairs. I move j as an amendment, that the name of Cr. j Lancaster be submitted to the Minister j as representative of this Council on the j Board. 1 can only say that Mr Crabb ' has said that he would accept the posi- • I tion of chairman. j The speaker then went on to express his regret that Mr Crabb had not done; what the remaining nominees had done,; anil agreed to the request to accept j nominal ion and lake his chance ol being ' elected as chairman. Concluding, the i .speaker said that h( took it thai the Mavor would do what he could to get a : representative of the Council on the j Board. There would be a lot of busi- j ness passing between the Council and j the Board, and it was essential that the J two bodies should be in close as touch as possible. Cr. 11. J. Canton: I beg leave to i I{ second the amendment, particularly on i (In- ground that no later than this'i morning I approached Mr Crabb, and Ij gjhe was most emphatic that he would j 1 not accept nomination except on the . | ■ understanding mentioned by Cr. Oram, j §§ Cr. C. F. Spoonor considered that J, I the Council should have taken steps toj, ; .secure the nomination of its three rd- j < ' iDrcsentafives on the Provisional Mann- 1 'watii-Orotia. Hydro-electric Committee j •(Ors Lancaster and Oram and the ' Mayor) lor'election on the permanent j { Power Board. „ THE ONUS OF ELECTION. . t , POlllS e of a discussion on the ■ " t i was explained to Cr. Spooner ■ onus of electing the members « ;■ flic Board was on the ratepayers, no,; iho Miu'om'li Council. o % T\l Lancaster said he was pre- (] 1 if„ Vnnnort. the motion il Mr ,] plw !^t„b t ,™.inatoIlunv, 1 lun v ,

conditionally as an ordinary member ol ihe BoardThe Mayor: It is no business of ours it all. '. ~ Cr. Jackson's amendment was tiien put and carried bv lour votes to three. As the vote was being taken the Mayor observed that Cr. Lancaster was ibstainmg from voting. "How are you voting?" he asked. Cr. Lancaster: I am not voting. The Mayor: But you must vote, lou >iv at the Council table. Cr Lancaster did not cast Ins vote, iving as his reason the fact that the .'.ution affected himself. The point was not further pursued. Before the Council passed on toother h ns h iess Cr. Lancaster assured the Council that if elected he would do his ■•est to forward the interests ol all cone'erhed "I have." he continued, "had •cveral talks with ex-Councillor Crabb. ,nd he asked, 'What chance have I o "icim" chairman:'' I replied that 1 di( not know. Well, he then said that il !,- knew that he would be elected to tin hair he would stand. I said that it was » very narrow-minded attitude to adopt L consider that ex-Councillor Crabb luu tcted very foolishly." The incident then dosed.