OPOTIKI'S TROUBLES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21577, 23 August 1933, Page 10

OPOTIKI'S TROUBLES

PROCEEDINGS OF COUNCIL * r - MINUTES QUESTIONED ACRIMONIOUS DISCUSSION [BY TELEGRAPH—OWN CORRESPONDENT"] OPOTIKI, Tuesday Members of the Opotiki Borough Council spent an hour this evening in an acrimonious discussion of the minutes of three previous meetings, and in tho end adjourned until next Tuesday to enablo somo members to put into writing certain alterations they wished to make in tho minutes circulated by the town clerk. Tho council chamber and tho anteroom were again packed by members of tho public. Mr. A. Anderson objected to tho list of accounts, which was said to have been passed for payment, and claimed that one item of £798 should have been £751.

Tho clerk said the list of accounts was passed as presented, with the exception of some iy>ms standing in his name which were held over.

Several other alterations were asked for, Mr. Anderson saying that he would agree to confirmation if the alterations wero made. Tho clerk stated that it was becoming the usual thing to question tho correctness of tho minutes, but ho considered they wore as accurate as any clerk could make them. He also thought that minutes taken down in writing by him at the time wero more likely to be accurate than a man's memory a month later. Messrs. S. Shalfoon and J. Main had an argument as to whether the general rate struck was lid or 3d, Mr* Shalfoon claiming that the former figure was correct. Mr. Main moved that the minutes be confirmed, but Mr. Anderson moved an amendment that the alterations be made as requested. The amendment was carried by 4 votes to 3.

Mr. Short said th 6 whole proceedings were becoming farcical, and ho thought that a correct report of what took place should be forwarded to the Minister of Internal Affairs.

After more argument Mr. Anderson moved that the meeting be adjourned for a week to enable the alterations to be brought forward to the clerk for insertion in the minutes. The meeting then adjourned.