A COMMITTEE MATTER

Southland Times, Issue 19655, 4 October 1922, Page 5

A COMMITTEE MATTER

BREEZE’ON THE COUNCIL. I t ; "They had no business to go and do this thing without letting their fellow com mitteemen know what was going on,” declared Councillor Miller at the Borough Council meeting lart night when, a recommendation of the Gas Committee “having considered the tenders for alterations in the Kelvin street property and recommend subject to the architect’s approval, that H. Cooper’s tender for £517 be accepted, being the lowest,” was up for discussion. Councillor Miller’s complaint, was that the original estimate was £405 anti the lowest tender was £517. Some of the members of the Committee had visited the property and alterations to the plans had been authorised by them, and he had known nothing about it. The gas manager had called the meet ing and he was quite sure he was not intended to go, because he was not invited. The Mayor: I was not invited to that meeting either. Councillor Miller: I am not'■concerned with your attitude, Sir. I ihink it is a matter of duty for me to join in all the activities of the Committee. Councillor Mackrell said it was not a meet ing of the Committee at all. An estimate had to bo put in before the matter could be considered. Changes were afterwards made. Evidently Councillor Miller had not

enough confidence in his fellow-committee-men to permit them to do anything without bis presence to see that things were all right. Councillor Miller: 1 rise to a point of order. I made no allegations at all. Mr Miller went on to say that the inspection was made by two selected men. The Mayor: You should not use that word “selected.” Councillor Miller: What is the word to use, then? The Mayor: Two members of the committee woukl be better. Councillor Mackrell stated that he had been telephoned and asked to come along, and at. great personal inconvenience he had done so. Councillor Boyes had also been asked to go. He tyad hail experience of cash registers. Councillor Miller had stated that if the manager got the ear of the chairman, or the chairman got the ear of the manager, things would l>e all right. He protested strongly against that. If Councillor Miller had taken the trouble to look over the plans when they Sven* available originally he probably would not have had so much to say at that meeting. It had not been a recognised committee meeting, and it was quite unfair to make reflections against the gas manager or anybody else. Some meniliers of the Committee had been got together at a moment’s notice. Councillor Miller: It was not as if a rough sketch and estimate had been put, in at first. Complete plans were put in and the estimate given al £405. He bad seen lhe plans. He wished to say that he was a? greatly interested in the work that was going on as anybody else. Councillor Preddy said he thought Councillor Miller was quite right. Nobody had any right to make alterations involving £lOO after the Council had approved the plans. Councillor Macalister thought Councillor Mackrell should have explained that the plans had been altered. Councillor Mackrell said he thought everybody knew it. Councillor Glass thought Councillor Mackrell was wrong in not making an explanation that the plans had been altered, and Councillor Miller should have been consulted as a member of the Committee. He expected to be consulted by the chairman of whatever committee he was on with reference to changes and whatever was being done.