PARIHAKA FOREMAN.

Opunake Times, Volume II, Issue 64, 12 February 1895, Page 2

PARIHAKA FOREMAN.

At the last meeting of the Taranaki County Council, there was a very lively time over the appointment of the foreman to the Parihaka Riding. Messrs McGloin and McCullum, who are particularly zealous in attending to the interests of the riding which they represent, very soon became dissatisfied with the appointment made, as they were satisfied that the man was unaccustomed to the work, and, to put it shortly, not lit for the job. They allege that he had been a commercial traveller, and not used to manual labor, and therefore very unlikely to prove a success at road-work. His salary, however, would be charged to the Parihaka Riding, and therfore they considered it part of their duty to see that the ratepayers got the best possible value for their money. This led to a protest by the Parihaka members against the man being retained, but their protest was taken very littlo notice of by the Council. Then the uuusual course of threshing out Councils' affairs in print between them and the chairman took place, and finally the chaivmau appealed for protection to the Council. The Council backed the chairman, and vindicated his honor and zeal, and almost immediately afterwards stultified itself by amply vindicating Messrs McGloin and McCullum. The main point at issue was that Messrs McGloin and McCullum accused the chairman of appointing an incompetent person to the position. The Council, by passing a vote of confidence in the chairman.

certainly decided that he had done so. This vindicated the chairman. The Council then dismissed the foreman, over whom the whola trouble, originated, thus vindicating Messrs McGloiu and McCullum. The action of the Council, therefore, resolves itself into this : By dismissing the foreman they compliment Messrs McGloiu and McCullum for their zealous action on behalf of the interests of the ratepayers. By parsing a bald vote of confidence in the chairman, they decide that in the eyes of the Council he is virtually faultless; but by dismissing the foreman whom he appointed, they indicate "Guilty! No penalty this time, but do not do it again!" It's a funny world we live in !