CITY COUNCIL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15788, 12 June 1913, Page 4

CITY COUNCIL

Tho meeting of tho City Council last night was' attended by tho Mayor (Mr \V. Downio' Stewart), Ors Sullivan, Sinclair, iJtatham, Markiw, Oole, Wilson, Hancock, Todd, Black, Meazies, Green, Begg, Hayward, Scott, dark. Small, and,Myers. GAS OOJOnHEE'S BEEOBT. Cr Clark, in moving the adoption of tho Gas Committee's report, expressed tho great regret of tho committee thai Inspector J. Fulton's health had neooasitaied his retirement. In the -works staff the arrangement that bad been come to same time ago had proved very unsatisfactory, owl tho committee bad now decided that it was in the best interests of tho works that it should call by advertisement for applications for the positioa of works foreman. Cr Black seconded tho motion.

Or Green said l tho report _ wa3 very moagrc. Ho got more information outside .than inskb aboat different matters. The chairman had not said muoh about tho recommendation to prepare a schedule oi duties for tho position of works foreman. Tho employee referred to was James Bell, who was on the official staff.

In reply to a question, tho Mayor said that Mr Bell was not on tho official staff. Cr Green said the council ought to have been given full details for the committeo's action in renloving Mr Bell from an insido to an outside position. Ho admitted that Mr Bell's name had' been before the council prior to this occasion, but every time he iiad como out on top. He had worked himself up in iho department, and was now capablo of -running the Gasworks irrespective of tho gas engineer. The committee, therefore, should have gone more fully into the question, and should have given reasons for removing this employee. He.moved—"That this clauso be referred back to the committee for further consideration and a full report on the question of transferring James Bel] from tho inside staff to the outside staff." Ho was tokl thero was a certain amount I of feeling between tho gas engineer and Mr 8011. Tho latter, however, said there was no feeling on his part; and that he had never refused to carry out a single instruction sinco Mr Hungerford had been in charge of tho Gasworks. He hoped that Mr 801 l would be placcd back in the works as foreman.

Or Colo seconded tho amendment. Ho thought Mr Bell had been treated rather harshly. Tho mail was getting up in years; ho had bean in the works for many yeare, and had given satisfaction.

Cr Menzies_ supported .the amendment. As tho eoarmittoo had pome to the oounoil with tho matter, tho council should bo placed .in possession of all the facts. Was Mr Bell being • transferred on account of any neglect of duty, or was ho being transferred in a general way? Tho committee's recommendation, ho understood, was arrived at as tho result of an incjuiry that. was held in consequence of eomo trouble with Mr Bell.

Cr. Myers supported tho amendment, as ho-wished to learn more of the facta of tho case. If thero had boen an inquiry he wished to learn why it was held and t<j havo access to any evidence that, had been taken- If thu man was to be punished by tile council tho council should havo full information on tho subject. Cr. Black said that after listening to tho inquiries made in this caso by tho oommittee his opinion was that tho man's services should' have been dispensed with. Under tho circumstances Mr Bell had' been well treated.

Cr Clark, ce chairman of tho committee, 6aid ho was prepared to give a full statement of the case.

Objection was taken, to Cr C!ark speaking out of ordor.

Cr Statham said that as a member of the Gas Committee he felt lie ought to say something. He could understand why Cr Clark did not go out of his way to give further information. Out of consideration for tho employee in question it was just B6 well that ho Should not stand up and give the council a report of all his delinquencies, Tho clause in the report was a mere statement of fact. Cr Green had stated that Mr Bell was capable of running tho gasworks without tho euginecr. Cr Green should have been, a little mora explicit. In any well-organised businea (he work did not come to a standstill simply because the manager was away. Some of Cr Green's other statements showed tiiat ho had not made himself fully aware of the facts or that ho had heard only oho side. Cr Green had omitted to tell them that after Mr Bell got the summons to come back to tho works ho changed from his working clothes to his best clothes before, he went. Mr Bell was not discharged merely on account .of this cno breach of duty at all, but this was a culminating point. A previous Gas Committee had recommended that his services be dispensed with. The council had over-ridden that, but now an almost- entirely new Gas Committee had conic to the conclusion that it was in the best interests ot the corporation that Mr Bell's services bo dispensed with. Tho committed had no desire to injure Mr Bell in any way, and it. did the best it could for htm by transferring him to another department

Cr Clark, in reply, said ho had two reasons for not giving moro information than ho did. In tho first place, 110 councillor had thought it worth while to say that he wanted more information. In tho second place, ho did not make reference to the matter out of regard for the employee in question, and Mr 801 l had good reason to say "Save me from, my friends." If any six councillors wero to go into tho facts they would say that Mr Bell had been treated ger.'orouEly by tho committee. Out of pure compassion for him the committee had now given him a, position Avhero be would liavo an opportunity, if ho- wished, of earning a living. The engineer and the committee had no confidence in Mr Bell, and, further, the man was not altogether a loyal employee, Tho amendment was put to the meeting. Tor tho amendment (9): Crs Cole, Kancock, Todd, Menzies, Green, Hayward, •Scott, Small, and Myers

Against tho amendment (9): Tho Mayor, Crs ■ Sullivan, Sinclair, Statham, , Marfoiv, Wilscm, Black, Begg, and Clark

The Mayor gave his easting vote against the amendment, which was therefore lost. The. report was adopted. OTHER lIEPOHTS.

The reports of the Reserves, Library, Water, General, Electric Power and Light, and Finance Committees were adopted.

Cr Myers moved the adoption of the Tramways Committeo's report.—Cr Menzies asked when councillors were to be supplied with the profit and loss statement of the St. Clair pavilion, which was promised to them at last meeting.—Cr Myers said that a balance sheet, showing the profit and loes on working expenses, had been prepared and would be laid before the Tramways Committee at itfi next meeting and sent on to the council. In tho meantime he might say that the former account laid on the table showed a profit of £117, but tho loss during the past three months,had reduced ■those profits to £47.—The report was adopted.