SOUTH INVERCARGILL

Southland Times, Issue 18990, 11 July 1923, Page 7

SOUTH INVERCARGILL

MEETING OF BOROUGH COUNCIL. ACRIMONIOUS DISCUSSIONS. An animated discussion followed the tabling of a motion by the Mayor of South Invercargill (Mr W. McChesney) at a special meeting of the Council held on Monday evening. There was a full attendance of Councillors. The motion proposed by tho Mayor contained the following clauses:— 1. That all committees be retired and new committees elected. 2. That the motion authorising each committee to appoint its own chairman be rescinded. 3. That the motion authoring the Town Clerk to give all instructions to the foreman be rescinded. 4. That the motion authorising the foreman to engage all casual labour be rescinded. 5. That the motion approving and adopting the reports of the North and Middle Ward members be rescinded. 6. And deal with all matters that may arise therefrom. Councillor Smith, moved as an amendment, that the present system of committees, whereby each ward had one of its own consisting of the three representatives elected, should continue. After a good deal of discussion the Mayor’s motion was carried on the casting vote of the Mayor, the voting being as follows: For: Councillors Jones, Foster, Peace, Hewitt and the Mayor. Against: Councillors Brown, Aitken, Poole, Smith and Bridges. The Council then proceeded to elect the new committees which, after discussion, were constituted as follows: — Finance Committee: —Councillors Foster, Hewatt and Jones. Lighting Committee: —Councillors Jones, Foster and Pearce. In regard to the Works Committee, the Major suggested that the following Councillors should be appointed:—North Ward, Councillors Jones and Brown; Middle Ward, Councillors Foster and Aitken; South Ward, Councillors Pearce and Hewitt. Councillor Bridges's amendment to the effect that the members from each ward should be the works committee for that Ward w r as, after a very acrimonious discussion, defeated. A Works Committee, consisting of four Councillors instead of six, was then appointed as follows:—North Ward, Councillor Jones; Middle, Councillor Foster; South, Councillors Pearce and Hewlett. The second resolution that the motion authorising each committee to appoint its own chairman, should be rescinded, was carried on the casting vote of the Mayor. The motion that the resolution authorising the Tow-n Clerk to give all instructions to the foreman should be cancelled, was carried, the Mayor’s casting vote’ again being expressed. The three further motions each provoked further discussion, and were eventually all carried through the Mayor’s casting vote being exercised. Two further resolutions that the chairman give instructions through the Town Clerk and that the Mayor be chairman of Committees, were also passed. The matter of appointing a by-laws committee was left in abeyance.