COUNCIL INQUIRY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22864, 20 October 1937, Page 17

COUNCIL INQUIRY

EMPLOYEE'S REQUEST DESIRE TO SPEAK IN PUBLIC MUST FORFEIT POSITION [by telegraph—own correspondent] PALMER STOX NORTH, Tuesday "It is time the council took some •stand in this matter," said the Mayor, Mr. A. E. Mansion!, at a Palinerston North City Council meeting, when an application was received from Mr. V. A. Christensen for permission to hold an open-air meeting to speak on the subject, "The Gasworks Inquiry—Does Evidence Justify the Council's Subsequent Action?" The Mayor moved that the request be granted, but that the head of the department which employed Mr. Cliristensen give him notice under the terms of the award. The motion was carried, only Mr. J. Hodgens, M.P., dissenting. "I do not want to prevent Mr. Christensen from speaking on the gasworks inquiry, but I do object to him as an employee of the council endeavouring to belittle it and undermine its authority," said the Mayor. "I do not think a local body should be asked to submit to what can only be termed impertinence," said Mr. W. B. Cameron. If a man was going to adopt the attitude Mr. Christensen had taken, continued Mr. Cameron, he should resign from the employ of the council before taking; up public shaking, as he intended to do on the inquiry conducted by the council. The council would have to take steps, otherwise the position would get out of hand.

Mr. Hodgens objected to the motion. It should not be overlooked, he said, that Mr. Christensen was a free citizen of New Zealand. hat he did outside the time he was employed by the council was his own concern. No corporation would dare assume it controlled the mind and soul of an emplovee after his hours of labour were over. "We boast of our British liberty and I cannot sec any great crime in an employee taking a keen and lively interest in a matter on which the council itself is divided," said Mr. Hodgens. _ Mr. W. B. Tennent said he would welcome criticism if Mr. Christensen were not an employee of the council. If he was in a frame of mind in which he wished to keep trouble going he should resign from the council's emplov. The Mayor said recently the Prime Minister, referring to trouble at Auckland, said there was only one authority. That was exactly what the council was saying. He added that when it was said the council was divided on the question it should be remembered the council was divided by only seven to three.