“WHOSE AUTHORITY?”

Southland Times, Issue 18929, 1 May 1923, Page 5

“WHOSE AUTHORITY?”

COUNCILLOR AND CLERK MR JONES ON WARPATH Apart from a little passage-at-arms between Councillor F. C. Jones and the Town Clerk, Mr Dyson, the first meeting of the new South Invercargill Borough Council passed off quietly. At the conclusion of the ordinary business Councillor Jones asked the Town Clerk through the Mayor, if he could look through the amended roll and the new roll, as there were one or two things in them to which he took exception. The Town Clerk protested that Councillor Jones’s request had nothing to do with the business of the meeting, but said that he was quite prepared to show the rolls to Councillor Jones after the meeting. To this Councillor Jones agreed. Councillor Jones then asked the Town Clerk, through the Mayor, if it was true that £6OO in debentures had been lodged on fixed deposit. The Town Clerk: Yes. Councillor Jones: Upon whose authority. Town Clerk: Through the authority of the treasurer. Councillor Jones then stated that he had heard outside that this had been done, and in his opinion, the matter should have been placed before the Finance Committee. As a member of the committee, he thought that he had a right to know what had been done.

The Town Clerk replied that he had reported to the Council on January 29 that £6OO had been placed on fixed deposit. Councillor Jones said that unfortunately he was not present, and then asked the Town Clerk if he had taken it upon himself to place the money on fixed deposit. The Town Clerk said that he had. Councillor Jones remarked that that was what he wanted to know and the subject dropped.