HE SIGN IN A BODY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6625, 15 September 1908, Page 5

HE SIGN IN A BODY

HUTT COUNCILLORS INDIGNANT. THE GASWORKS QUESTION. RATEPAYERS TO BE CONSULTED. The Lower Hutt Borough Council sat till a lato hour last night discussing tho ga© question. A resolution was eventually adopted, on tho motion of Councillor Baldwin, deciding to call the ratepayers together on Friday night. A committee, consisting of lour oouucilloia and the Mayor, is to meet in the meanwhile and draw up a statement in justL fication of the Council’s decision, and in rclnlatlon of remark© made at last Fri'was introduced by tho following motion: That, in view of the .fact that the action of this Council in deciding to erect gasworks in the borough of Lower Hutt without taking a poll of the ratepayers, has aroused so much antagonism, this Council as a body resign from office, in order to test the feeling of the ratepayer*.

Councillor Ross said the Council _had two alternatives. Either Councillor Hodgins could move the motion which ho had withdrawn at the last meeting, asking for a poll of tho ratepayers, and tliu Council adopt that course, or the Council should go out of office. Ho wa© less concerned ou the question of works or no work© than ou that of procedure. It would be a most irregular thing to proceed, as the Council proposed, without asking the ratepayers' sanction. H© was prepared to support Councillor Hodgius's original motion, and would have done co at the previous meeting, had not circumstances prevented him remaining to the dose. . Councillor Ward characterised this as "playing to the gallerv.” He favoured going on with the works if no reduction iu the term of agreement could be obtained from Potone. As to the legalitv of the Council's proposed course, he dil not think Mr Bunny's opinion was worth Bd. let alone 6© Bd. (Laughter.) Councillor Baldwin ©aid that for the enlightenment ofil-tfhose not present., at the meeting of No. 2 Committee on Friday night, he might explain that ballot popers'wero considered, and the course of action decided on. He asked Mr Bunny at the (public meeting for permission for the ballot paper Being read, but this wais practically declined. When lie could ©eo that tho request .was not to be he thought it as well to get "off tho platform, as the meeting threatened to get out of hand. Councillor Hodgins said was not prepared to bring forward his motion again at this stage. The Council owed it to itself to publicly refute the mis©te.tenionts made at last Friday's meeting The clerk read h© resolution concerning the raising of the <£14,000 loan, and also tho ballot papers. Those showed thet <£4500 was for narchaso of reticulation of Petono, and £9500 "for purchase and acquisition, or construction and prevision, of gasworks, including the taking over or acquisition of land and other - rights, including buildings, gasworks, mains, lamps, lights, conduits. After considerable further discussion, tho resolution was adopted, '