ABRUPT TERMINATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20619, 18 July 1930, Page 12

ABRUPT TERMINATION.

I COUNCIL WITHOUT QUORUM. MEMBERS LEAVE CHAMBER. NOISE IN THE GALLERY. Amir] dicers, hoots and remarks from people in the gallery the Auckland City Council's meeting came to an abrupt end at 10.40 last, evening, when a majority of the councillors present walked out as a protest against the attitude of Mr. ,T. It, Lundon. This action destroyed the quorum and prevented further business being transacted. Councillors plainly showed' their impatience with Mr. Lundon earlier in the evening, especially in regard* to attacks which he had made upon the deputymayor, Mr. A. J. Entricun, and tho city treasurer, Mr. A. Mossor. Mr. Lundon had notices of five motions on the order paper. Under tho standing orders he would have been entitled to speak for half an hour on each of them. The motions wore almost at the bottom of the order paper, being followed by two items of formal business. At halfpast ten tho latter were given precedence on tho motion of the Mayor, Mr. G. Baildon, leaving only Mr. Lundon's business to ho .dealt with. Before the Mayor could call upon tho mover, a number of tho councillors quietly got up and walked to the door. The last to go was Miss E. Melville, to whom the Mayor remarked that she was leaving the council without a quorum. Miss Melville paused in tho doorway and replied that she could riot see her way to remain. This left ouly six councillors in addition to Mr. Lundon —Messrs. Entrican, W. H. Murray, .T. Donald, H. P. Burton, G. Ashley and E. N. Bartram. After a pause, Mr. Lundon asked the Mayor to read tho standing order relating to the quorum. The Mayor rang tho bell on his desk and read the standing ordor, which provided that if within five minutes after tho ringing of tho bell a quorum were not obtained, the meeting should lapse, and fresh notice would bo required for the renewal of any motion on tho order paper. Mr. Lundon began to argue that even if there were no quorum he could still discuss his motions. The Mayor: You know very well that the council cannot do business without a quorum. Mr. Lundon (with heat): This ha.' been done deliberately, but I can assuro councillors that tlioy have not heard the last of me. I will not renew theso notices of motion, but 1 will write letters to the council on each onp. of them and discuss the letters at length. I will alsc give notices of motion about them. I intend to call public meetings of protest and circulate petitions for tho removal of councillors who shirk their duty. There was applause from tho gallery, and in the midst of it tho Mayor left the chair. As ho disappeared through the door some of those in the gallery " booed" loudly. Mr. Baildon turned back for a moment and then went to his room. Some of the lights were turned out and the spectators immediately began to make an uproar of groans mixed with applause and cheers for Messrs. Lundon and Murray. One man, who said he was the president of something, threatened tc have tho council's methods exposed. At this stage the Mayor returned without his robes, and some derisive but good-humoured remarks were thrown at him by the departing men, who left the building at once, but lingered outside in groups for a while afterwards.