INTEGRITY CHALLENGED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22099, 1 November 1933, Page 4

INTEGRITY CHALLENGED

COUNTY COUNCILLOR’S POSITION A SATISFACTORY EXPLANATION Exception to statements which had been made regarding his integrity as a local body member was taken by Cr H. A. Brough at yesterday afternoon’s meeting of the Clutha County Council. In the course of his remarks Cr Brough claimed that a resident of Balclutha had adopted t a certain course of action with a view to intimidating him, and stated that he desired to place the full facts before the council in order that the members might judge for themselves whether or not he was blameworthy. After hearing the explanation made by Cr Brough, various other councillors expressed their complete confidence in his integrity, and paid tribute to the unselfish work which he had rendered in the interests of the ratepayers of the Maclennan Riding and of the county as a whole. Cr Brough said that a letter,had been received by the council containing veiled threats, and furthermore it had been reported in certain quarters that he had been doing things which he should not do. The chairman: I have never heard of

lt ’Cr Brough repeated that these allegations had been made, and the chairman again stated that this had not come under his notice. •... . Continuing, Cr Brough, said that when he stood for a seat on the Clutha County Council, he did so because he thought that if a man was doing what he thought was right he was trying to help the community. - He had realised when he offered himself for election that as a business man he would have to make certain sacrifices, and he had been prepared to make them. Ever since he had been a member of the council he had endeavoured to assist the ratepayers, and wherever he saw an opportunity of saving money for the council he had tried to do so. When he took office, owing to the slowness with which the rates were coining it, the Maclennan Riding was practically banKrupt, and things would have gone from had to worse if he had not introduced a policy of economy. One thing he had objected to was that the county lorries should go out of the district for repairs, lor he held that when the work could be done as efficiently and as cheaply in the district as outside, the local tradespeople should receive the benefit of the work. # In addition to that, when the lorries were taken out of the riding it cost the council £5 per day in addition to the expenditure on repairs. In order to assist his sons he had started a garage known as the Owaka Motors. In his desire to keep the county expenses as low as possible, he had given the grader driver permission to go into the garage and do any work required free of charge. There was this exception, that where any new parts were ordered the arrangement had been made with the county engineer that the speaker should get the trade discount. He had acted in this manner with the single view to saving the council’s money, and the driver had beeti' charged only when one of the garage men had been required, to assist him. Cr Brough detailed other measures!which he had taken to enable the riding expenses to be kept as low as possible.'and went on to say that he had been told that a man in Balclutha bad sent to Dunedin to obtain a copy of all goods sent to the order of himself and also of all discounts credited to him, and he understood that this had been done in -an attempt to frighten him. He was not there to be frightened, and if the council did not think he was entitled to the amount of £5 14s which represented the trade discounts on material ordered through the Owaka Motors he was prepared to hand it back to the council. He was prepared to take-the public platform and give an account of what he had done. Cr Brough again stated that he had acted always in the best interests of the ratepayers. — (Applause.) , . Cr Harris said he did not desire to discuss the matter beyond saying that Cr Brough had a perfect right to defend hiinself as he had done from ’ these rumours. So far as he was concerned, he wag certain that Cr Brough had done nothing wrong. Cr Cummings paid a tribute to the work of Cr Brough In his efforts to assist the ratepayers. , Cr’ Maginness said the, feeling which had manifested itself outside the council in this matter must come to an end. The

council was quite capable of carrying out its business without being dictated to by any business man in Dunedin or Balclutha.- 1 Information was going out—lie was : not going to saw how, but he thought he and the engineer l knew—i-to a' man in Balclutha regarding the council’s business. The council was unite entitled to order material where it liked. He thought Cr Brough was to be admired for the action he had taken. - ' '

J The discussion was concluded when Cr Harris moved that the council should empower , local garages when carrying out work on its behalf to order their material wliere they liked, the motion being carried unanimously.