RATEPAYERS DISAPPOINTED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19966, 7 December 1926, Page 13

RATEPAYERS DISAPPOINTED

POET CHALMERS AFFAIRS, HOSTILITIES NOT RESUMED. Ever since a month ago Port Chalmer* councillors, by eight to two, voted noconfidence in their Mayor (Mr T. Anderson), the meetings of the council have been unusually interesting. The meeting a fortnight ago was a decidedly stormy one, councillors repeatedly demanding the production of a minute which they declared Mr Anderson had definitely promised to produce, but of which no trace could be found. This was a minute which, it was alleged, gave the Mayor the authority of the council to alter a minute of the council in such a way as to allow it to increase his honorarium in consideration of work he did in the town clerk's office during some months when the town clerk’s position was vacant. The meeting ended inconclusively with indications that hostilities would be renewed at the next counpil meeting. That meeting took place last evening and was attended by the Mayor (Mr T. Anderson) and Crs Lunn, Smith, A. Love, W. Love, Morgan, Campbell, Willraott, Bell, and Allan. Evidently in anticipation of some more lively passages between the Mayor and his council, there was a crowded attendance of the public in the vacant part of the council room, but, ns it proved, the visitors were doomed to disappointment. •Very little occurred to show that anything was amiss. The first indication of feeling arose when the minutes of the previous meeting came up for confirmation. Cr A. Love rose in his place. “I would just ’like to ask a question,” he said. "There is one thing that is misleading there.” The Mayor; What is it? Cr Love: The thing was slipped through very slipshod. The Mayor: What is your question? Cr Love: The question is that you took upon yourself to order £lO worth of hangers for a contract down on the wharf, and the chairman of the Works Committee refused to sign that order. The council knows nothing about it. The Mayor cut short further elaboration of the subject by rapping out; “You are quite out of order. That has nothing to do with the confirmation of the minutes.” ihe minutes were confirmed as read. Routine business proceeded rapidly and smoothly for about 20 minutes, by which time the • order paper had been exhausted. Then the moment of interest arrived: “Any fresh business, gentlemen?” inquired the Mayor blandly. After a brief pause Cr W. Love rose. “There is a letter from the Harbour Board about payment for filling in of Mussel Bay. It was referred to a special committee. I don’t know whether the committee is ever going to meet. I always tiiought the mayor took a lead in this sort of thing. Three weeks ago we got that letter. I heard that if we don’t have a meeting and decide on something the board will take its plant away to town. I think it is time something was done. The Mayor: It happens that two of the committee have been away. One is back now. We could not meet without all the committee. Cr Love, you might have used a little more discretion than to bring this up in open council. It does not do u* any good. The Harbour Board is getting on all right and the dredging is going on all right. A Councillor: For how long? The Mayor: Don’t cross your bridges before you come to them. No further” business being proposed, the Mayor declared the meeting adjourned till the 20th inst. It was evident that a truce had been agreed upon, whether permanent or temporary remains to be seen. There was nothing left for the crowd of spectators but to file out disappointed. Someone complained that the council had scarcely tieated the public fairly. “We’ll refund your money at the door,” responded a councillor cheerfully; and thus the gathering dispersed.