A CITY APPOINTMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11871, 24 January 1902, Page 3

A CITY APPOINTMENT.

PROTEST BY A COUNCILLOR ' : i l ' ? :/A At last;- night's meeting of the Auckland ' ' City Council a letter was read from Mr% :^; Glover, who was appointed keeper of the'-,. 'i saltwater baths at last" meeting, asking that ' '" her son-in-law, P. Shields, be appointed to act with her instead of her soa as at ;>,-.- proposed, as there was scarcely room for two families at the baths and her son was ' afraid of the damp . proving injurious to his .; family. Mr. Rosser moved that Mr. Shields be ; appointed. Mr. P.;Dignan moved, 'That the matter 8° to the Baths Committee." . ' ': Mr. A. E. Glover appealed to the geuer- ,'.,f osifcy of the hearts rof the members of the I Council-and asked them to do as they would ''° wish to be done to those of their own kith and kin. Ho ..assured them if they did they would be rewarded by the congratulations of their fellow citizens and by the NJ , smiling fa-ces they c.would see j around ■ them r m future times in the brightness and happiness ■of their, own homes." Mr. C. J. Parr held that the onlj proper course . was _to advertise for fresh applications. , Any other ; course would be a job. Ho protested against the inclination in the Council,to fill appointments in a way that did not prevail when ho entered the Council. Under _ the regime of Mayor Goldie every appointment was advertised in a straightforward manner, and there was non& ;,; of ! this • business; of ■ making appointments ; without giving everybody a chance to apply. He did not wish at the present stage to institute any other comparison between Mr. Goldie's time; and. the present. What .was tho reputation of the Council in Queen- , street to-day ? Was it a reputation members could be proud of? Was it not just this sort.of thing that was giving the Council such a reputation ? ■ Mr. A. E. Glover: Question. , Mr. Parr said he considered it extremely ■.j unseemly for; a; person who is a relative of the-applicant interrupting him in this way." Only a fortnight ago Mrs. Glover's son appeared before the Council and stated that he was in a position to '; take up this situation. Now. he found &it convenient :to retire, and somebody else wanted to take his place. The whole thing looked = suspicious. - Mr. Masefield said ; he knew Mr. Shields and could recommend him for the position.. Mr. Baume supported Mr. Rosser. Ho '■'•:/ understood it was Mrs. Glover who was appointed, not her son. ■ Mr. J. MoLeod asked the Mayor to rule whether the Council would be in order in granting Mrs. Glover's request. The Mayor, dealing with "Mr. Parr's remarks, said he did, not; know of any appointments that had been made since Mayor Goldie's time except this; and everybody <S had a fair chance. In reply to Mr. MoLeod he said he was not quite, dear about ,the -;;' legal position. He thotigkt it mad© very little difference; whether Mrs. Glover was assisted <'' i by her son or .by .her son-in-law, - but he thought' the matter should go to the committee. - • A vote was taken, with the result that Mr. Rosser's motion for the appointment of Mr. Shields was carried by nine votes: (Messrs. Masefield, Baume,. Grey, Julian, i \ Slosser, Glover, Gavratt, Hewson, and Patterson) to five (Messrs. : Court, -Parr, Han - nan, McLeod and the Mayor) for the matter being referred to the committee; ■'".• Mr. Hannan asked if;it; was not against the Municipal ; Corporations Act for Mr. ; J Glover to,vote on this question. Mr. Glover: I have no pecuniary interest. The Mayor declared Mr. Roger's motion chimed. Mr. Parr, gave notice that he would, at next meeting, move,' "That the resolution _'«' 'just passed be rescinded on', the ground that " applications should be invited from tho pub- . lie in the usual way." ■