Gasworks Management.

Southland Times, Issue 11297, 1 November 1889, Page 2

Gas works Management.

At yesterday evening's meeting of the Invercargill Borough Council, the following letter from the Gas Manager (Mr R. R. Knight) was read :— Gentlemen,— Having been instructed by the Town Clerk to go out and read the indices of the meters, I would beg to again bring this matter before you for your further consideration. If I have to do so another man will have to be taken on at the works, :as I airi quite sure that the gentlemen of the Council will not expect me to work both night and day, as. I would have to do if I had to read the meters. At the present time there is nearly 700 consumers distributed over nearly 20 miles of mains, all- of which have to be attended to by two men and myself, besides carrying out the work at the gasworks. To do this without the meter reading necessitates night work for me, but of which I do not complain as I am only too glad to do anything that will tend to make the works a success financially, and I think it will be a great pity to increase the expenditure by taking on another man. I may also state that lam at present getting the centre valve placed in position which necessitates my presence at the works, and in a very short time the. new meter and governor will be here and it'will have to be placed in position, all of which will be done without any extra labour. I may also state that I myself keep all the machinery in perfect working order without the aid of any of the engineers in the town. I may also state that the meters in the town are kept in an efficient state, and that very few complaints are ever made re them. Sincerely trusting, gentlemen, that you will reconsider this matter.— l have, &c., Councillor Lumsden moved that the matter be referred to the Gas and Water Committee for, .their consideration and report. He thought the Gas Manager had made out a good case for re-consideration, and it appeared as if it would be judicious to delay bringing the Council's previous resolution into effect until the works now in hand were completed: . Councillor Mitchell seconded the motion on the ground mentioned by the mover, that it would be better to delay the operation of the Council's resolution until the work of fitting up the machinery, &c, was finished. At the same time he thought the Council's resolution a good one, and one that should be brought into force as soon as the work referred to was done. If the Manager read the meters, one half one month and the other . the next, he would be brought into more intimate relationship with the consumers. Councillor Cleave said it appeared to him that Mr Knight was going to be the Council's .boss. Every councillor must know that the Manager had plenty of. time to do what he had been asked to do, and if he (Councillor Cleave) did not know that that gentleman had wasted more time within the past three months than would have, enabled him to take the meters three times over he would not have voted for the resolution. When he saw a man in Dee street for hours and hours during the day he concluded that man had not much to do ; if he had seen any other officer of the Corporation in the street for hours at a time he would think either that he was not doing his duty or that he had very little to do. He had taken a great interest in the gasworks during' the past eight or ten months, although not a member of the Gas Committee. At the last election he had not intended standing, but considering the great expenditure on the works and the necessity for improvement in their management, he had determined to seek re-elec-tion, to gefc on the Gas Committee, and, if possible, to become its chairman. This programme he had carried out, and he jhad made up his mind that the Manager would have to attend to his duties or there would be a row. He would say the same thing before the Manager's face as he was then saying at the Council table ; he had been called a coward but in that respect he was none. The fact was that the Manager did not want co be humbled by a lotr of men who, aa he thought, knew nothing about the gasworks and wanted to carry them, on as he liked. He (Councillor Cleave) was sorry to have to bring these matters up, but he considered he was only doing his duty to the ratepayers and himself. He knew the Manager had any amount of time and if he spent it at the works instead of other places it would be better for himself, better for the Council, and better for all concerned. The statements in the letters were simply excuses j the fact was that he did not want to humble himself to do the work he was asked to do. If the Council passed the resolution then before it tae matter would come up again ; he (Councillor Cleave) would fight like a demon until the previous resolution was carried out, and no man would stop his mouth. If the Manager had a proper interest in his work he would be only too pleased to go round and see his customers and attend to their wants. He (Councillor Cleave) was satisfied that the Manager could do what the Council asked. Councillor Hall said he would support the motion. Councillor Cleave had endeavoured to make a great deal ouc of a very little, and had gone on talking about doing his duty in spite of Satan himself and other big : bugs. Councillor Cleave spoke as if he were the only member of the Council who wished to do his duty, but there were others at the table just as anxious to do theirs, just as anxious that the management of the gasworks should be properly conducted. The question simply was as to whether or not the Manager had time to take the meters (Councillor Mackintosh : Plenty). Councillor Mackintosh knew no more about the gasworks than the tumbler of water on the table ; he had taken no interest in Municipal matters for years and had only lately become a member of the Council. Councillor Cleave said that Mr Knight had plenty of time, but the fact was that if Mr Knight was ' occasionally seen about the streets during the day he worked at all hours of the night. He got up frequently at .five or six in the morning. Councillor Mackintosh : Bat he does not work. Councillor Hall .• He can work with his head which is a great deal more than many people can do. Councillor Mackintosh protested againeft Councillor Hall's insulting remark, and appealed to the Mayor not to permit it. The Mayor said if the remark had been directed personally at Councillor Mackintosh Councillor Hail would have been called to order. Councillor Hall : And I would have apologised. — Continuing his remarks, Councillor Hall said he thought Councillor Cleave had taken up a false position. Of coarse he had a. right and it -was his duty— as jfc was the* right and duty of every councillor — to bring up anything he saw wrong, but it was to be hoped he would lay aside past prejudices and endeavour to work harmoniously with the staff. The Manager had made out a fair case, and was entitled to have it referred back to the committee. Councillor Mackintosh said he thought tfta Mayor should not have allowed Councillor HaLl to make the insulting remarks which had fallen from his lips. However, he (Councillor Mackintosh) could afford to let the Council judge as to whether his or Councillor Hall's remarks should carry most weight on account of experience and intelligence. The question at issue simply was, whether or not the Gas Manager was to be master. The Council had passed a resolution to the effect that he should take the meters, and it was passed for the best of reasons, for the reason that it would bring him into contact with the consumers and enable him to remedy any defects that might exist. There was the case of Mr McDonald, who had not used the gas for some time. He (Councillor Mackintosh) would like to know if the Manager had made any effort to get that gentleman to take the gas again. If the Manager went round he would be likely to. bring about a good feeling between the consumers and the CounpU j he was a gentleman whose qqmnmnication with the consumers! would h,ave when required a conciliatory effecl. But almost as soon as the resolution had been passed he (Councillor Mackintosh) had heard that the Manager was too big a man to humble himself to do the work required. He thought himself master, and that, as he had a majority of the councillors in his favour hp could do as he liked. He woald find his mistake, however ; he would find that he would only have a majority to wpport him if he did his duly.' It was said; he had no time to take the meters, bat if that were iQhow wm it that be coaW jgit iwiy tq

Balciutha and Gore for days ? He appeared to have lots of time then ; what had occurred since "to alter the state of affairs? The question was whether Mr Knight was to have his own way. If he would not take the meters he should get notice ; there were plenty of good men. Councillor Hall: That's what you are driving at. Councillor Mackintosh said he was not driving at anything of the kind. He bad no personal interest in the matter whatever. He had been told that when Mr Knight was telephoned for in nine cases out of ten lie was not at the gasworks. In his opinion Mr Knight could find plenty of time to take the meters if he chose. Councillor Froggatt regretted that Mr Knight could not see* his way to comply with the resolution, as if he went round the consumers he would have an opportunity of seeing if their meters were in good order. He (Councillor Froggatt) certainly did not think Mr Knight was above his work, but he was of opinion that he could have carried out the wishes of the Council. He (Councillor Froggatt) knew of a town in the old country of the same size as % Invercargill, where there was a smaller staff at the gasworks although more gas was consumed. He strongly deprecated the personal remarks which had been made in connection with the matter, expressing the hope that the Manager would try to work harmoniously with the Council and that all personal feeling would die out. Councillor Finn said it was the duty of the Manager to comply with the resolution of the Council. Mr Kxtight was a good man, he believed, a very efficient officer, one whose services he would be sorry to see the Corporation lose, bufc if he would not carry out the Council's instructions it would be the Council's duty to give him notice. That he had lota of time was evident from the fact that he had been able to get away to Balciutha and Gore. Conncilior Storie hoped the Mayor would call the committee together at an early date so that: they could go to the works, make a thorough inquiry, and find whether it would be better to comply with the Manager's request or carry^out the resolution. The Mayor said he intended making a few remarks on the subject, but before doing so he would call the attention of councillors to bylaw 24, which read as follows: — "No councillor shall digress from the subject matter of the question under discussion or comment upon the words used by other councillors in a previous debate, and imputations of improper motives and all personal reflections en councillors shall be deemed highly disorderly." He hoped the Council as a whole would in future remember and observe that bylaw. In connection with the matter under discussion he, to some extent, coincided with what the Manager said. A man in his position should not be tied down to such a job as taking the gas meters for several days in succession. His position should ' be & free one enabling him togo to any part of the town where his presencemightberequired. If^all the Councillors had watched the operations at the gasworks as carefully as he (the Mayor) had done they would be better informed as to the work which had been and was being done. He did not want to favour the Manager or to speak against him ; he only wanted to give him fair play. He had placed the engine, the boiler, and the new machinery which the Council had ordered in position with his own hands. The speaker Bad gone down to the works at all hours of the day and night up to midnight, and had found the Manager there hard at work and as black as any sweep ; he had attended to all the principal engineering work which the Council had authorised. He (the Mayor) would like Councillors to take a fair and unbiassed view of the matter and not be carried away in [any way. He did not say that the Manager should not go round and look at the meters when he could, but at present he had a lot of work to attend to and his hands would be pretty full for some time to come. He thought the best course was that proposed by the motion, and in conclusion he expressed the hope that councillors would go down to the works and watch their progress, and not come to the Council and talk so much at random. Councillor Lumsden, in reply, said that Councillor Cleave talked *about Mr Knight feeing hours and hours in Dee street. Well, he (Councillor Lumsden) had visited the works very frequently and had always found him at work. But, apart from that, they surely could not deny the Manager some social recreation ; they could not tie him continually to the works. Clearly the only interpretation to be put on Councillor Cleaved remarks was that the Manager should be discharged at once.— (Councillor Cleave dissented). —He said that if he knew nothing about the gasworks and took every word of Councillor' Cleaves for gospel, the only conclusion he could come to was that they should get rid of Mr Knight at once. He had very serious doubts as to what would be the results of taking such a course. The Manager had important duties to perform and | grave responsibilities oh his shoulders in connection with the new works, and the effect might be very serious indeed if he were " kicked out." On the whole he thought Mr Knight's communication deserved the consideration of the Council, and he thought it would be very injudicious at present to take the Gas Manager from his duties at the works to send him round the town taking meters. The motion was then put and carried, th c following being the voting : — Ayes : Councillors Hall, Froggatt, Mitchell, Lumsden, McFarlane, and Storie. Noes : Councillors Cleave, Finn, Mackintosh and Roche.