GREYMOUTH BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2973, 8 March 1911, Page 3

GREYMOUTH BOROUGH COUNCIL.

A STORMY MEETING. (Froic Ouk Own Correspondent.) GREYMOUTH, March 3. Last night's meeting of the Greymouith Borough Council came to a dramatic conclusion. Mr J. A. Eiesnhardt, against whom the Mayor had instituted proceedings for am alleged breach of the by-laws, which councillors contended had been undertaken without ' their sanction, applied for a permit so as to be able to alter his promises of wcod and iron. Cr Bignell proposed that the request i be granted, but the Mayor, following up | a similar action two months ago, ruled the motion out of order. I Cr Kerr than proposed that the proI cecdingw be stayed. A short but heated debate followed, in which Cr Tennent characterised the Mayor's action in prosecuting an old resident who was over* 80 years of age as a distinctly objectionable choice, especi- ; ally as breaches were numerous, and the by-law could have been tested in another way.

The Mayor replied that his action was quite as honourable as that of Cr Tennent, whofse firm supplied the borough with timber. Or Tennent retorted that under the old act he was protected as a director of a joint stock company, and since the new act had been, passed his firm had not supplied the council with any goods whatever. He warmly challenged the Mayor to take action, and said that the latter himself was quite capable of looking over his own little shop. The Mayor denied the allegations, and ruled the motion out of order.

Thereupon Cr Beirne gave notice to obtain a solicitor's advice on the question of obtaining a writ of mandamus to compel the Mayor to put the motion, and a suggestion to leave the table as a protest against the Mayor's action was immediately acted upon, and the meeting terminated with only half the business on the order paper transacted.