MORNINGTON BOROUGH AFFAIRS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13078, 14 September 1904, Page 2

MORNINGTON BOROUGH AFFAIRS.

THE MAYOR REFUSES A MOTION

Another of those little "incidents" for which tho Mornington Bbrough Council is ;bceoming noted was added to lis already long list last evening. This council • lias a habit of regarding tho affairs of tlm borough »s matters of tho first magnitude, and cor.pcquently debated are spirited and opinion is generally divided— jso much !>o that tho machinery of municipal jjovornment does not always run smoothly 'and the bearings occasionally got heated. Last night's performance was reminiscent uf the famous "free tramway passes" affair, only it was of lesser magnitude aud canio to an abrupt conclu;ion hy a majority of tho council exhibiting : a little ' temper {and leaving the tnbla

The business before the council was consideration of tho following motion, notice of which had been given by Cv LoCren:— " That with a view to placing tho oflico work of tho borough on a moro satisfactory footing, tho wnolo of tho oflico staff sliail iccsivo one month's notice, and that applications be invited for the position of town clerk und junior sssistimts nt such salary tia may be fixod by tho council." The Mayor said he was going to take a very unusual course with regard to this notice of motion. He might say that this matter had been before tho council off and on for about 72 months, and it-had received a considerable amount of attention, and had boen reported on from timo to timo. 'l'lio last report was from tho Finance and Tramways Committees, . both of • which were favourablo to keeping tho present • oflico staff, on tho ground that everything was in a satisfactory state. That report was simply icjocted, and tho whole question, so far as the borough was concerned, had becomo ad nauseam. He realised .the responsibility iio waa about to take in connection with .this matter... Tho council had n tremendous amount of work before it, and that work demanded full attention. To do anything of tho nature proposed at the present time would mean ohaos. Ho therefore refused to put tho motion to tlio meeting, Cr LeCren. had stated beforo that he brought it forward because ho considered ho owed a duty to tho ratepayers, but na (tlio Mayor) also owed a duty to the ratepayers, and was not there to fritter away precious timo but to consider the best interests of the borough and the ratepayers. Cr LeCren had his remedy. If the ratepayers thought Cr LeCren was in the rigiifc in keeping up this kind of .thing, -:thoy would support him, and if lis (tho speakor) found that tho ratepayers would riot support his (tho Mayor's) action.ho would givo way. There was a certain amount of dignity attached to tho chair, and he had a ■ ccrtaih amount of self-rcspcct and coiirago which led him to believe that ho would be supported warmly in tlio course lie was taking.

Cr Hcndcreon: I say that is making a reflection on tlio council.

Cr Clarke: I ask you to give a ruling for refusing the uotico of motion when it js in order. , .

Tlio Mayor: The reason I tako this course is because the exact- motion has been bcioro this council before and rojectcd. Or LcCren: It's not quite the same.

Cr Hope: 'The import is similar. Cr Ciarko:' It doesn't matter if it has beon hero 50 times so long as it's in order. Tlio Mayor: I am simply taking this stand in tho interest*) of tlio borough, and it is high time this council learned a different way of doing tilings than keeping [up this nag, nag, nag. Cr Ciarko had deliberately stated that ho would never take any more action in this matter, but he was still at it. He (tho Mayor) would resign that evening if this kindof thing was going on. Ho was there to attend to the work of 'the borough, not to that sort of business. If in committee tho motion \vu«J put in somo other form, or in any manner in which it could I>e supported, or if any reason could be shown that tlioro was any weakness in the staff, lie would 1» willing to tlisouss it in n proper way. Hut thero was !no shadow of support for the way in which the council had been dealing with this question.

Cr Clarke again asked for a reason for refusing the motion, but tho Mayor refused to givo any.

At the suggestion of one of the councillor Cra LetVen, Clarke, Garside, Birt, Dickson, and Henderson then left tho table, only tho Mayor and Crs Hope and Anderson lomuining. Shortly afterwards tho Mayor vacatcd tho chair, and the meeting concluded.