USE OF ROLLER

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 81, 6 March 1937, Page 10

USE OF ROLLER

REPLY TO QUESTIONS. RAISED AT COUNCIL TABLE. Following the receipt of information from the town clerk, in reply to questions raised at an earlier meeting, by GY J. Hodgens, M.P., concerning the hiring by Cr W. B. Tennent of a petrol roller owned by the council, the Palmerston North City Council, last night, adopted the report of the town clerk and passed a resolution expressing assurance to Cr Tennent that the matter had been satisfactorily answered and that he had obtained no concession because of his position as a coUncilloi. The town clerk’s statement was as follows: In accordance with the resolution moved by Cr Hodgens on February lo and adopted by the council, concerning the hiring of the road roller by Cr Tennent, 1 hereby set out the questions moved in the resolution and the answers thereto:— Question I.—The number of times the council’s petrol roller has been borrowed by Cr Tennent for his personal use. Answer: Roller hired on five occasions. Question 2.—The date and time charged on each occasion of such concession being given him. Ansuei . January 18, 1935 Cl hours), £1 Is; October 31, 1935 (3 hours), 11s bd j January 17, 1936 (2J hours), 12s; April 27, 1936 (2 hours), 9s 6d; January 14, 1937 (2 hours), 9s 6d. Question 3.—Was the roller taken out of depot or off some job to suit Cr Tennent’s convenience? Answer: No. Question 4.—The rate per hour charged for such service and method ot assessment. Answer: 1935 rates, 6s per hour; 1936 rates, adjusted to 4s 9d per hour to bring charges into lino with standard rates fixed by Minn Highways Board. Question s.—Has the council by resolution fixed such rate at any time? If so, supply copy of resolution. Answer: No resolution fixing rates for this particular roller. Question 6.—That a copy of the resolution authorising the Joan of the roller to Cr Tennent be tabled for the information of the council. Answer: No resolution. The Mayor (Mr A. E. Mansford) moved that the report lie received, and Cr W. B. Cameron seconded the motion. CR TENNENT’S STATEMENT. “I am rather surprised that Cr Hodgens has not made a statement,” said Cr Tennent, “but I wish to make one.” Cr Tennent severely criticised Cr Hodgens for the manner in which ho had brought tho matter up. “In doing what he has done,” Cr Tennent proceeded, “Cr Hodgens has unconsciously paid me a very great compliment. Ever since I brought up certain matters last September he has been trying to find something against me, and this is all he can find. You will agreo that I have received no favours or even asked for them as a councillor. When this information was asked for I wrote the following letter to the city engineer (Mr J. R. Hughes): “ ‘Would you please give me in writing the following information?—(l) The instructions which I gave you when asking for the use of the petrol roller. (2) Have you ever charged me less than any private citizen would be charged for the use of the roller for the same time? (3) Have you ever taken it from any council work to suit my convenience? (4) Can any citizen hire the roller on payment of the usual fee provided it is not in use by the council? (5) It it usual for you to ask the consent of the council for such use when the usual charge is made?’

“To this,” continued Or Tennent, ,r I received the following reply:—‘ln reply to yours of the 23rd ultimo, to the questions regarding the hire of the small petrol roller, I have to reply as follows: (1) You have on every occasion been most emphatic that the roller was only ,to be sent to your place when not required for the city work. (2) The rate of charging has never been loss to you than to any other private citizen. (3) Never at any time was the roller taken off council work to suit your convenience. (4) The practice has been to hire the roller to any sports body, school committee, or private citizen so long as it was not in use by the council. (5) It has been the custom of the department ever since, and prior to my joining the council, to hire out plant when not in use, providing the fixed charges are agreed to.—Yours faithfully, J. It. Hughes, City Engin- ' RIGHTS OF COUNCILLORS. “This shows quite clearly,” added Cr Tennent, “and without a shadow of doubt, that I have been more than careful to accept nothing as a councillor which would not be due to me as a private citizen. Cr Hodgens’s method of raising this matter is typically Hodgensian. He knows as well as I do that if he had any doubt about my dealings, he had a perfect right to ask the town clerk for the necessary information, which would have been readily supplied; or he could have raised it in committee as he has done other matters on previous occasions. “.before I sit down I would like to tender some advice to Cr Hodgens. I know before I begin that I will be told very plainly that any advice is not wanted ; but he has previously told Cr Cameron the same thing in very plain language, and only a week or two ago .... he stated that he would not rest until ho v liad the regard of Cr Cameron as of old. It may not, therefore, be too much to hope that he may be found saying that he cannot rest until he has the regard of Cr Tennent as of old. At the last Parliamentary election he was elected on a 33 per cent. vote. If he desires to retain his seat he must obtain the respect and goodwill of a great many moro people. . . .” CR HODGENS’S REPLY. “This is a remarkable outburst,” commented Cr Hodgens. “I congratulate Cr Tennent on the measured way in which he has passed his remarks, but it is a remarkable outburst, considering the responsibility of every councillor sitting round this table, elected by the ratepayers They have certain duties to perform, among these being to listen to the representations made by ratepayers to them in expectation of the councillor to whose attention a matter is drawn, ventilating it in the council. Councillors have different traits, temperaments, and dispositions. but I have yet to learn that the course I have pursued is the wrong one. The information contained in this report I am entitled to have, and entitled to hand on to the ratepayers who wish to know the conditions under which the machinery was hired by Cr Tennent. . . . Cr "Hodgens went on to say that ho had been on the council for sixteon years now, and he thought that the people of Palmerston North appreciated whole-heartedly what he had tried to do. He was just a little bit hurt, but had no tears in h;s eyes, that Cr Tennent thought he could fix the methods that all other councillors should follow when they sought advice. Cr W. B. Cameron said he considered that Cr Hodgens might have gone about the matter in the same manner

as ho had another question, and saved a lot of heart-burning. He had asked the questions about Cr Tennent in open council, but bad dealt witli tbe otliei matter in committee. Cr Cameron considered that the questions asked had been fully answered, and that the council should give Cr Tennent its assura nee that it did iiot think he had in any way used his position as a councillor to secure some benefit for himself or desired or obtained any concession not due to any other private Cr G. Tremaine said be had listened with some surprise to the statement made by Cr. Hodgens. He agreed with the statement that it was the duty of a councillor to bring before the council any representations made to him. That was exactly what Or. Tennent did some time ago, and which had caused such ire in Cr. Hodgens. Cr. Tennent: I raised mine in committee. of course. . Cr. Tremaine said be laibyi to see anv difference between Cr. Tennent and Cr. Hcdgens in tlieir right to bring forward any matter. Roth were either entirely wrong or entirely right. i n tt i The Mayor pointed on that Cr. Modgens had not said Cr Tennent was not entitled to do so, but that the manner in which a matter was brought before the council was at the discretion of the councillor. Cr. Tremaine: But these cases are on all fours. , , The Mayor said a councillor coulcl. if he wished, bring a matter forward cither in open council or committee. When this particular one bad come before the council they bad felt very confident that Cr. Tennent bad not asked for any concession but that to which he. was entitled as an ordinary citizen. The answers tabled justified that, and should receive as much publicity as tbe questions when tbe latter came before the council. RESOLUTION CARRIED. The report was received and Cr. Cameron moved the resolution as stated in the opening paragraph, indicatin'' that the council was satisfied that Cr" Tennent did not in any way receive any concessions to which he was not entitled. Cr. Hodgens moved an amendment that the report be referred to tbe council’s special committee of inquiry. Seconded by Cr. J. r l . -T. Hentley this was lost, and the motion carried. Cr. Tennent. commenting that " he had alwavs been quite confident of the outcome, thanked the council for the action which it had taken. I