THE GASWORKS DISPUTE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7890, 4 June 1887, Page 3

THE GASWORKS DISPUTE.

The council met last evening and continued their investigation of the dispute between Messrs Taylor and Griffen and the gas engineerl There were present: Crs Gourley (in the chair)i Fagan, Fish, Murray, Barron, Dawson, Cramond, Sinclair, Carroll, Lee Smith, Esther, and Dr Hislop. A reply from Mr Taylor to the gas engineer's statements was read as follows :— Gas Office, m , ■ ToSr U Hall Build<oga, Dunedin, June 1,1587. To his Worship the Mayor and the members of the _ City Council. Gentlemen,—ln replying to the statements of the ga» engineer contained in his letter to the council of the 18th ult., I will endeavour to deal with them as briefly as I can and in the order in which they occur m the letter. Referring first to Mr Griffon's complaint, I cannot ot course say of my own knowledge what occurred between theengineer and Mr Griffen. With reference to Richardson I will, however, state the facts so lar m I am aware of them myself. In April last I strongly advised the Gas Committee that coke should be bagged for sale by corporation labour and not by outside hands. The committee so recommended to the council in their report of sth April 1887, aud the council ultimately adopted the recommendation, the method of payment for such labour being meantime left in abeyance. On the adoption of this recommendation I !?^Hi? Worship the Mayorand asked his permission that Kichardson should continue on at this work as he had a large family and had been for a long time engaged at this particular work, and was a steady and efficient workman. His Worship acquiesced and gave me the necessary authority to arrange the matter. On the following day (Saturday, 23rd April) I went down to the works and handed both to the engineer and to Mr Griffen my notification of the new arrangetneht, as follows;— [Copy.] " Gas Office, Town Hall Buildings, MTI . „ , *■" " 22nd April 1887. "•„ Gra"ai °. Esq., gas engineer, h . Slr '~The, council has decided that all coke shall be bagged and loaded up by hands -paid by the corporation, and not, as hitherto, by men sent from outside. Ihe price of coke will at present be- ;!€ or coke bagged■ 2s)s per ton. .. i,° r we loaded loose into trucks, 28s 6d per ton. fhn n™S. v°\ 8hl? tUe May°.r authorises you to put ttuvmauHichardaon, who has been filling coke for P"i r Me consumers. at work at this job. Mr Griffen will keep an account of the coke filled £• V? 1. tIU hls rate oE wages is determined, for which he will be paid present prices. Then follow some instructions noC relating to this matter.)lours truly, Wm. B. TAtLOB. „ „ . „ [Copy.] "Gas Office, Town Hall Buildings, "Mr Grifien; Gasworks Office. "** "Dear Sir,—The council have decided to bag and load all coke by corporations hands at a cost of Is 6d per ton for bagging, and of Is per ton for loading loose into trucks; the cost of coke will be now 29s and 2bs 6d respectively.-Yours truly,

d- S.--Mr Graham is authorised to put on Richardson at the job of coke filling. If you have any difficulty as to the working of this plan, please communicate with me.—War B. T," f»°»=d 1 may here stale that owing to the keen demand fnh "^.m a «°i ßjrßtem ? f men belnß a^Wed to fill for otitside_ employers, it had becSme a general scramble who should get the coke, and that to use Mr Griffen s expression to me, it was being bagged almost at the retort mouth. Mr Griffen properly represented this to me, and it has now been put a stop ro. r

Mr Griffen also represented to me that it would be a saving to us if we paid Richardson 7s per day until his rate pf wages was determined, and I authorised him to use his discretion as to this in the meantime.

In reply to Mr, Griffen as to when the new arrangement commenced, I said, " To-day; Mr Fairpalm has my instructions to charge today's sales at the new rate," and I had so instructed Mr Fairbain before leaving the office for the works. I have here to state that what is alluded to as the putting on of fiichardson involved merely a change m the method of charging for the coke. He continued at precisely the same wotk and in the same place as before, the ,'sole and only diterence being that we. now collect the price of filling from the customer, while the filler is under our own condu O t siaemas Oter a3hithertO> "^P^therß to Be™ an

»3w 'n eV >f Co? e> ter> 4c- areleft in my hands, and M.r Griffen acts under niy instructions in these matters, and that not;of. my Own will but by the authority of the Gas Committee and council a his particular arrangement was sanctioned by the counoil, but the carrying it out lay with myself, and my arrangements were accordingly made as Btatsd. mere was no desire to ignore the engineer, who was notified of the matter in terms that I thought ho could not take exception to. ■ " It was necessary that I should notify him as he countersigns the pay sheets as certified .by Mr Griffen, and he was entitled to know how Eichardson s name appeared on suoh sheet. The engineer's following statement—" Mr Laneham s boy was put on to fill coke (the boy beine an outsider*), that this was done without my knowledge or authority, but that, for the sake of peace, I havenot hitherto noticed the circumstance, afthough the council will perceive it has been done in direct coutravention of my instructions from the council" -is not only unfair and misleading, but is contrary to fact. As councillors are aware, coke used for malting purposes requires to be carefully " picked," and air pieces containing tarry matter removed. JVlr .Langnam sells a large quantity of coke for malting purposes, and for over two years past the lad in questton has "picked - such coke for his father, the picking being from the heap into the bags, the picking and bagging being in fact one operation. Of this fact the engineer is well aware, as ha is also of the fact that I could not deprive him (Langham) of this prmlege (even if it were desirable to Bdo so, which it is not) without doinghiman injustice, and damac-ln.?Ji?-a conßldenible extent the sale of our coke. _ mta reference to the statement as to the sale of breeze, and the engineer's conduct to Mr Griffen thereon I can only say that Mr Griffen, so far as the sale was concerned, carried out his instructions from

„„ Z^^rQ^ H T Lain B- asphalter, a D plied to me on behalf of Mr A. J. Burns for two loads of breeze, saying "They won't let me have it at the works without an order fronv.you." I ascertained on in- ? UM7 fcS? fc the cn Kineer had sold during the last year to .Mr Burns some six loads or so of breeze to make f^ rpnai^f h ' a?£ *at the Present order was wanted to repair the paths m question. Mr Lame said that neaner ashes nor screenings would answer the purpose as well, and I thereupon asked and obtained the mayor s sanction to the breeze being supplied, and I forwarded an order to the works, with an en™ZT ea A 'k ?L y OWU wrltin« that tne Bale w»» sanctioned by the mayor. At this stage of the engineer's letter he states that •' Mr Taylor is doubtless aware he has at various times compiled biographical notes referring to me." I do not enter into this (as it is outside the present question) further than to say, in passing, that I am at any time prepared to place these •' biographical notes " before the council, when the necessity of their existence and ot their compilation on behalf of myself aad my staff ■will be at once apparent. m,t?n to <.fc «c 1^ 8 mftde by me personally, the engineerfirst tabes the charge •• that he had gone to Messrs Anderson and Morrison, sought to embroil "Ji^m thein t an(i wged them to make it hot for us at the Town Hall," and says the statement is untrue. The counc.l have heard Mr Morrison's statement which more than proved my own statement I did not examine Mr Morrison, for I preferred him to tell his story m his own way. The word used by the engineer m alluding to us was a foul one, andshowed the animus that dictated this act of the engineer, in which, while endeavouring to get it " made hot for me, 'he was so mindful of his own safety as to request that his name should not appear in the transaction. I submit that the engineerVatatement that my charge is untrue.hasrecoiled on himself, and that it is his own assertion that is proved an untruth I submit that even without Mr Morrison's st«tement the defence (or rather excuse, for it is nothing more) of the engineer in this matter is an admission whichra itself eloquently proves my charge and the state of his feelings towards the staff and myself I would here like to state that my action with regard to the pipe referred to was solely in the interests of the corporation, and necessary under the circumstances, and that I am prepared to explain it at any time. J The statement I have made—that thY engineer, after having promised the mayor that he would work harmoniously with the staff, having shaken hands with me, shown me over part of the works and discussed several matters with me, suddenly refused me a verbal reply to a question 1 went down to settle, and stated that he would require everything I did with him to be in writing—the engineer does not deny, but makes a lengthy statement, misleading, and concluding with a statement that he sayg he made to me, which I can only characterise ai (with the exception of a few words) a pure invention, i do not think the engineer could so long have remembered Buch a statement, even if he had made it • but that I could never have forgotten it if I had listened to it, I am quite sure. Stewart and Henderson are two of the town gang of service layers, and I could ill spare them, but after an interview with the mayor I sent them down to the engineer as stated. Shortly after, I was appointed secretary, and began to push the business by advertisement, &c., and applications flowed into fast that I not only wanted my men but had to more than double my outside staff, and even then could not keep the work under. I saw the mayor again explained the position, and told him that I must get Stewart aud Henderson back, or I should be in a muddle, and the mayor advised me to go down and arrange the matter with the engineer. I did so with the result as stated. I again saw the mayor, and asked his advice, who -directed me to do the only available thing under the circumstances—viz., notify the engineer that the men v/ere required in town by the Monday following. When the engineer refused me a j-eply of any sort to my question as to wLen he could let me have the men, I asked him why he took up a position which I could not reconcile with his promises aud conduct of a few days before. After pressing him for an answer, he waved his hand and said that he declined to discuss the matter at all. I again pressed ior some reply, when he said, with a rising voice: Affairs are managed, or rather mismanaged, now by a set of (persons?) at the Town Hall, and 1 do not intend to be caught, and I intend to; have everything in writing." 1 did not catch the word that I have put down " persons," nor do I know what it

rh« ™ii • *£ at, * cx Pr(?ssed an opinion that the main-laying should be put under my charge "is directly contrary to fact. I have always conaiSered and always sa.d that the mainlaying should be under the control of the engineer. Iso advised thp marked " Private and confidential," implying that! have committed a breach of confidence Such ia not the case. Both letters were written by Mr ariffen for the purpose of being laid before th£ mayor and they were la.d before the mayor with his full knowledge and consent. At this time neither Mr Griffen nor I knew that these proceedings would be public nor is that a matter for which lam responsible Mr QriQen will, I am rare, corroborate me in this In concluding this statement I have respectfully to call the attention of the council to the fact that my complaint in each case is not of an isolated act on the part of the engineer, but of a continuance of certain conduct. It is because this course of action has been dragging on without sign of abatement (but the contrary) for years, because the acts now complained of are but the latest links added to a long chain of persistent opposition, that 1 have felt bound to protest in the terres that I hnve The council have decided that they will not hear evidence as to the patt, and 1 must bow to their decision ; but I ask that in weighing the credibility of statements and of witnesses the recorded antecedouts of those witnesses, if officials, shall be taken iDto consideration, and tbat before you Bay that Mr Morrison, Mr Griffen, and myself are not to be believed, and that the engineer is, you will read the history of the past few years aa it is presented in your office records, and judge not only of the credibility ot parties concerned but of the probabilities of the case.

I wish here to say that in thit> matter I have been driven to undertake a duty unpleasant »nd distasteful to me in every way—onefor which I can honestly fay I am in no way responsible, but one from which I was able to find no honourable means of escape. I have, &c,

(Signed) William B. Taylor. The council then proceeded to take further evidence.

Mr Graham asked that his wife and servant, who were in attendance, should be allowed to hear the evidence, but it was agreed that they should not be called in.

Evidence—for which we have not space in this issue—was then given by Messrs Griffen, Taylor, Graham, Langham, Richardson, and Whittington.

DuriDg the examination of Mr Griffen,

Cr _ Lbb Smith pressed the witness with a question as to whether any member of the council had been down to the gasworks recently and mentioned anything about this matter to him.

The Witness Raid not that he remembered. At a later stage C^Lee SjliTh asked t Has Cr Fish been down to the works within the last three months ? Witness: Yes. Cr Lee Smith : Did he speak about this matter ? Witness: He did.—(Applause from ratepayers m the body of the hall.) Cr Fistt.- Now I will ask Mr Griffen a question.—(To Mr Lee Smith): You have divulged a private conversation, sir; you are no gentleman.

Cr Lee Smith: I ask the protection of the chair. Cr Fish calls me no gentleman. It is not for him to call me no gentleman. The Chaibman ordered both councillors to resume their seats, after which the examination was conducted without any unseemly interruption.

After all the evidence had been taken and Mr Taylor had briefly addressed the council, Cr Fish moved—" That the council having heard the charges by Mr Taylor against the engineer, the evidence adduced thereon, Mr Graham's reply thereto, and evidence produced by him, is of opinion that the charges are frivolous and not sustained; further, that the council regrets the loss of councillors' time in hearing and discussion thereon." He referred at length to the charges that had been formulated against Mr Graham. The motion, he thought, fairly met the merits of the case. He repeated that the charges were of the most frivolous nature and had not been proved in one iota. He criticised adversely Mr Taylor's action in double letter writing, and his action in purchasing pipes in the manner he had done from Messrs A. and T. Burt. Also, referring to the letters marked "private and confidential," he remarked that Mr Taylor had not acted properly. He had no right even to show such letters to the mayor. But Mr Taylor, he said, had been impelled to make these charges by someone else. He would like to know who that somebody was. If he could look behind a certain secret curtain he would probably see the gentleman, and could he look behind , another curtain he would perhaps be able to discover the motive that had led up to the whole matter. He had been twitted with having deserted his party, but he was not there in the interests of party. He had to look to the city as a whole, and he recognised no party. Even if he had a party he would be inclined, like Hans Breitmann, to say: " Where is dot barty now ?" —(Laughter.) Two of the newspapers in this city—one in particular—had endeavoured to coerce the members of the council in such a way as was a disgrace to the press.—(A Voice: "No.") He for one would resent such an attempt at coercion, and so far as it would have any effect on him it would be in having an effect in the opposite direction. Let the council do their duty honestly, and be reproved if they were in the wrong i but for the preßfl to sit on a case that was subtkdice, and to talk as they did to sensible men (who on the whole were equal to the man who wrote these things, and perhaps better) was, he said,n degradation of the press and an elevation of the individuals spoken of. He mentioned that he had a supplementary motion which his would move if this one was carried. It was as follows:—" That the town clerk be instructed to intimate to Messrs Taylor, Graham, Griffen, and Whittington that, in the event of any further disagreement occurring between them in the carrying out of the Gas department, the council will deem it their duty to dispense with the services of the whole or any of them." On a suggestion of another councillor he agreed to put the two motions together. Cr Babbon seconded the motion pro forma. Cr Caeeoll moved as an amendment—" That the matter be referred to the Gas Committee, with the view of defining the duties of Messrs Graham, Taylor, and Griffen." It should, he said, be understood that Mr Graham was to have charge of the manufacturing and Mr Taylor to have charge of the commercial department.

Cr Hislop seconded the amendment. The difficulties, he was persuadedjjhad arisen from the want of a clear definition of the duties of these officers.

Cr Barhon pointed out that the amendment would not put them further than they were before.

Cr MurbAY thought the matter should he referred to the Gas Committee to clearly define the duties of these officers.

Cr Sikclaie supported the amendment as the better of the two proposals,- aud referred at some length to the evidence that had been adduced. As to Cr Fish's remarks about the motives of certain councillors, he repudiated them altogether.

Cr Lee Smith complimented the preceding speaker on the manner in which he had reviewed the evidence,;and then proceeded to go into the question from the time the engineer first took office. He said it was notorious that for years past the relationship between the council and the jgas works office had been very unsatisfactory. This inquiry had been emasculated by the elimination of all matters previous to a certain date. It was most unsatisfactory, because they could not trace the real causes which had led to this dispute without going back to the earliest period of Mr Graham's connection with the gasworks. He would take an opportunity of referring to that"bistory. Cr Fish: Wrll I|shall object at once. The Chairman ruled that Cr Lee Smith could proceed.

Cr Lee Smith then referred to the relations that had existed since Mr Graham's advent three years ago as disastrous to the interests of the council. The gas engineer had, he said, said words to him similar to those complained of in the statement which they had just heard, but he would not repeat them. He had all along recognised that the gasworks were a good property, and he had tried to make them a success in the interest of the ratepayers as much as if they were his own, Dut councillors knew there had been trouble since the first day Mr Graham came there. It could not surely be that thisj man had fallen out with first Adams then Whittington, then the town clerk, then Taylor, and then Griff en. Surely these were not all wrong.—(Applause.) Cr Fish had talked of party. There wasno denying that there was a party in that council. What about the rumours of dinners at certain houses, of suppers, cabs flying «bout, interviews between certain councillors and Mr Graham, and of Mr Graham pleading his cause in one place and another ? If councillors were not afraid of publicity, why did they not come and say "Here you are, we are not frightened of anything? Why did they not agree to lay the whole matter before Mr Simpson, so that it might be impartially dealt with ? No, they did not want that; they had rather have it carefully abridged, condensed, and put within, as it were, the iast three months only. His hands were clean in the matter. To him it was nothing personally, but, as he had said before, having been put in that position by the public.it was his duty and his desire to see that this question was properly, fairly, honourably, and impartially dealt with. He denied that it had been so dealt with by that council, seeing the special line of pleading which tbe attorney-general (pointing to the chair which Cr Fish had just previously vacated) has takenup.—(Laughter.) The learned attorneygeneral had assumed a line of conduct which his previous history fully warranted, and which his knowledge of the bench also warranted. — (Applause.) He had during the examination of witnesses that evening asked questions which it was apparent were »ost leading and one-sided (questions—such as a ]udge would never ask a witness. And then as to this party on the other side, did they cross-examine or did they put leading questions to Mr Graham? No; they wanted the merits of the case fairly opened up. But from the beginning to the end the public would consider—and he believed rightly consider—that that trial, that inquiry—if they could call it an inquiry—had been a thoroughly one-sided one.—(Applause.) Proceeding to refer to Cr Fish's remarks, he continued as follows:—Sir, it is not necessary for me to go through all the evidence, because it has been so fully, so completely, and explicitly dealt with by my friend Cr Sinclair. I recognise that the band of brothers on the other side— (laughter)—will vote loyally and to a man for the motion which [their new leader has offered. (Applause from the public.) As to Cr Fish's sneers about seeing behind the curtain, I will merely say this: I recognise the force with which he uses his vocabulary of vituperation; but sir, I also know this: that it has lost its force, and that it is unique—it belongs to Cr Fish entirely.—(Loud applause.) I know, sir, that that eloquent tongue of his, which in previous years dealt such deadly blows amongst his poor opponents, has lost its power and has become a blunted sword.

Cr Esther: I rise to a point of order.

The Chaibman said he was willing to allow fair argument, but he would not let Ct Smith abuse a man when he was absent. He wanted Cr Smith to understand that he would not allow it.

Cr Lee Smith : I was not abusing Cr Fish; I was only replying to the sneers and jeers which he gave utterance to. If the hon. gentleman is not here, then why is he not? (Applause.) I say the arrows which the hon. gentleman used to fire with such energy are poisonous, but, sir, they carry their own antidote. They come from Cr Fish, and there I leave it.—(applause.) I say that this inquiry will not satisfy the public. They will feel that there 18 a.want °f impartiality, and the result will be that another proof will be given that this council is not fit to administer the affairs of the town.—(Applause.) f>,AfY Cr uee Smith sat down Cr Fish re-entered the chamber and resumed his seat at the table. •Wrti^lT^ E\ Said that both Crs Fish and L<* SI IT 6tron 8 Partisanship. Both X W?. -° ge*er Unfalr ' and had nofc trea*ed the matter in an impartial manner. He would CfZl neiwI t? e J motion nor the amendment, 11 th had beea bussed he would move another amendment in the matter Cr Pagan supported the motion. He said it was apparent that Cr Lee Smith's strong desire sTvice° TrwMr I*™ hissed Stho service. It was evident also that pit-holes had been dug for Mr Graham to drop into Cr Cbamond said he intended to support the by the Gas Committee alone. It was their fault in not defining the position of the various oincGrs.

Cr Fish replied He hoped the amendment would not be earned for one reason—it would prolong the matter for another, three weeks or a month; and, besides, the «~ "Jpmmittee were determined, rjght or wrong, .ject the present engineer from his office. •. > refer it to thorn would be simply to give them an opportunity which they would at once seize of annoying the council and bringing forward other charges against that unfortunate man. He held that if Mr Taylor had anything to communicate to the men at the gasworks he should do it through

the engineer; and then again, it was nonsense to take such an important work as the laying of a main out of the hands of the engineer. They,had made a mistake in giving so much power as they had done to Mr Taylor and conferring on him the high-flowing title of secretary, for he had shown that he was not equal to the occasion, and had assumed and presumed upon the title which had been given him. He regretted that the chairman had allowed Cr Lee Smith to travel over the ground he had done. He did not hear all that he had said, but he had heard sufficient to know that Cr Smith's speech was a tirade of abuse against the council, and particularly against himself. Cr Lee Smith occupied a premier position as regards abusive epithets and abusive language; and if his so-called superior education had taught him nothing better than to use gentlemanly blackguardisms within those walls, then it was a pity indeed to be educated. Under these circumstances he (Cr Fish) would rather remain an uneducated goak than be so well educated as his polished friend opposite.—(Hisses from ratepayers.) In all his long experience as a public man he had not heard such polished insolence as had proceeded from the gentleman opposite.—(Renewed hissing.) There was a story of a Billinsgate fi-iherwomaii who once on meeting Lord Chesterfield, he thought it was, heaped a tirade of abuse on his head. The hon. lord retaliated, and beat her altogether with the polished abusiveness which he gave utterance to. n Cr Lee Smith they had a descendant of one of the worst portions of the hon. lord to whom he referred. —(Hisses, and a remark from Cr. Lee Smith—" Thank yon.") Every step he had taken was such as to justify the assumption that his object in entering the council was to hound out this man from the position he occupied. This was the common talk, and the hon. gentleman had proved it true by his action in that council. The idea of his friend talking about impartiality! Had he not shown his utter incompetence to judge between the merits and demerits of Mr Graham, the gas engineer? He would imperil the interests and prosperity of the gasworks for what was a gratification of a paltry spirit of private malice and revenge. Cr Sinclair rose and suggested that Crs Fish and Lee Smith should " have it out" privately. The Chairman said he wished to say that he thought the amendment was not at aU a satisfactory solution of the question, for the Gas Committee were equally divided, three councillors always voting one way and three another, with the result that recommendations were usually carried on the casting vote of the chairman. The only solution of the difficulty was for the Gas Committee to resign in a body, and let fresh men take their place. Cr Sinclair : Let the council resign as a man.—(Applause.) Cr Lee Smith : Hear, hear. lam quite prepared for that, sir.—(Applause.) The Chairman: I am quite prepared also; •nd I don't want to be re-elected. It is not an honourable position, I assure you.—(Laughter.) Neither is it an agreeable one. Cr Sinclair asked the chairman to name the three members of the Gas Committee who always voted in one way.

The Chairman said he was not going to name them ; So much had been said about ihe manner in which the Gas Committee's reports had been received by the council that he thought he was justified in telling the public how the committee was constituted.

Cr Lee Smith : The last vote of censure was unanimous.

Cr Sinclair : I have not always voted on the one side. I opposed the first vote of censure because I did not think it right; I voted for the next one because I believed it was right; so those remarks do not apply to me. The amendment was then put and lost, the voting being: —Ayes: Crs Murray, Lee Smith, Hislop, Sinclair, and Carroll. Noes: Crs Fagan, Fish, Esther, Barron, Dawson, and Cramond. The motion was then put and carried.