COUNCILLORS RESIGN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17614, 29 October 1920, Page 6

COUNCILLORS RESIGN.

MR. ENTRICAN AND MR. DAVIS SEQUEL TO LAND. PURCHASE. ANZAC AVENUE SECTIONS. The resignations of Messrs. A. J. Entrican and Ernest H. Davis as members of the Auckland City Council were accepted at the meeting of the council last evening. The resignations were forwarded in consequence of a ruling by the Audit Department in connection with the purchase of certain sections in Ansae Avenue.

Tim following letter was received from Mr. Entrican: —" The Audit Department having intimated to me that as the firm of A. J. Entrican and Co., Ltd., purchased from the Auckland City Council sections in the Anzac area and that as I am a director of that firm I cannot legally retain my seat in the ( council, I therefore beg to resign my position as a councillor of the City of Auckland. I desire to thank very sincerely yourself and the councillors with whom I have been associated for the courtesy and kindness I have always received, and I shall be pleased if you will convey to the staff (permanent and otherwise) my appreciation of the attention and help they have always so willingly*rendered to me as a councillor."

Purchase by M. Davis' Attorneys. Messrs. Oliver Nicholson and Eliot R. Davis wrote as follows: — We understand that you have received a cablegram from Mr. Ernest H. Davis, London, resigning . his office as a councillor. This has been brought about through an action on our part,*as his attorneys, of purchasing from the council two sections in Anzac Avenue, abutting upon his property in Eden j Crescent. We are advised that the |act, of his entering into such a contract ren- , ders his seat as a councillor vacant, hence his resignation, which has been , cabled by him at our request. Mr. | Ernest Davis had nothing whatever to do j with the purchase, which was effected by; us on his behalf upon our own respon- | sibility. It is a matter of regret that as j a result of our actions he has no other alternative btffc to tender his resignation." In regard to Mr. Entrican's resignation the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson, moved: — " That the resignation be accepted, and whereas Mr. Entrican has served 22 years as a councillor and several terms as Deputy-Mayor, throughout which period he has devotedly and unsparingly given of his time and ability in furtherance of the city interests, the council records its high appreciation of his invaluable work and faithful service, and 'expresses its regret that by the interpretation of a section of the Municipal Corporations Act he was unconsciously rendered ineligible to retain his seat. The council extends to Mr. Entrican an assurance of its cordial recognition of his long and honourable career as a councillor and of its high esteem of his public-spirited citizenship."

Mayor's Tribute to His Deputies. The Mayor said that as the framer of the' motion, in which it had been his j endeavour to express what he felt and j what he judged to be the sentiments of j councillors, he desired to add, as one who j had been privileged in an almost daily and intimate friendship and association with Mr. Entrican for twenty-five years, an expression of what he knew to be the great loss which the council and citizens had sustained in Mr. Entrican's retirement from the council. He also desired to publicly acknowledge his deep sense of j indebtedness to Mr. Entrican for the help : and advice so unselfishly afforded in j public affairs, particularly ' during his ] earlier years in office. The City Council , could ill afford to lose the services of able j men who were prepared devotedly to give; energy and time to public work, and; when such services had been given, as in I Mr. Entrican's case, over a long period, they should be suitably recognised. He' therefore bore testimony to the great 1 value of Mr. Entrican's work as a coun- j cillor and he expressed his sincere appre-1 ciation of his unfailing regularity and' courtesy as his deputy for so long. I The motion was seconded by Mr. P. M. [ Mackay, who expressed keen regret that j Mr. Entrican should have to retire from j the council.

Mr. H. N. Bagnall said he was extremely sorry that an action which had been quite straightforward on the part of Mr. Entrican should have caused his resignation. w

Similar sentiments were expressed by the other members present. Miss E. Melville said she felt sure the authorities were straining the Act in placing such an interpretation on it. She considered the council should make representations to have the matter cleared up. Such a position was never by the framers of the Act. The motion was carried. The council passed the following resolution in the case of Mr. Davis:—"That the resignation be accepted, and that the council convey to Mr. E. H. Davis an assurance of appreciation of his publicspirited services and of regret that, while detained abroad by sickness when on leave from the council, he -has been unconsciously rendered ineligible to retain his seat."

The Mayor stated that an election would be necessary to fill the vacancies on the council caused by the resignation of Mr. Entrican and Mr. Davis. The election would be held not later than 25 days and not less than 20 days from the date of resignation.