ENGINEER RESIGNS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 203, 1 October 1914, Page 5

ENGINEER RESIGNS.

CITY COUNCIL SERVANT. STRAINED RELATIONS. LIVELY DISCUSSION. It became apparent early in the evening at the City Council meeting last night that there' was something '' in the wind,'' and the audience in the part of the Chamber reserved for the public must have felt highly curious. A special report was produced by the Electricity Committee, but it was not read, the Mayor explaining that as it affected an officer in the service of the corporation it might be dealt with later in committee. This raised some mild opposition from several eoxincillors, but it was agreed eventually to hold the report back until the ordinary business had been disposed of. The mysterious report was then produced, and a motion to go into committee having been defeated, copies were handed to the reporters present. THE REPORT. " The report read as follows: Resignation of City Electrical En-gineer.—-The committee has to report that Mr J. Crombie Scott, the city elecr trical engineer, resigned his position on the 29th inst., and desires to retire from the council's service at the expiration of one month from that date. The committee recommends that the resignation be accepted and that the committee be authorised to grant Mr Scott a testimonial relating to'his services with the council. * In order to fill the vacancy thus created, the committee requests permission to ad¥ertise in the Dominion and Australia for the services of an electrical engineer at a salary of £750 per annum, increasing to a maximum of £9OO, per annum as follows: £BOO per annum when the. average consumption reaches 1500 K.W.; £BSO, 2000 K.W.; £9OO, 2500 K.W. The committee proposes that the new engineer's engagement shall be terminable by three months' notice on either side. THE' COMMITTEE CHALLENGED. Cr. McCullough, who is a member of the Electrical Committee, created a diversion. He wanted to know when the resignation was received. Cr. Taylor: On Tuesday last. Cr. McCullough: I am a member of the committee, and I received no information of this question. Cr. Taylor: You received a notice to attend a meeting last Friday, and it was marked '' Important." THE RESIGNATION. Cr. Otley pressed for the resignation to be read, and after a good deal of pressure and objection this course was taken. The terms of the resignation left no doubt that the relationship between Mr Scott and the Electrical Committee had been strained, and that the resignation had been requested by the committee. ANTICIPATED. After further discussion, which the Mayor strongly deprecated and discouraged as likely to harm Mr Scott, Cr. Taylor moved the adoption of the report. He explained that the committee had decided to terminate the agreement with Mr Scott at it's meeting on Friday. The agreement was determinable at one month's notice. However, rather than adopt that course, it was decided to give Mr Scott the opportunity of sending in his resignation. The report submitted was drawn up in anticipation of the resignation being received, and was only to be used if the resignation was received. Taylor added that from the result of four years' experience, he felt that matters could not go on any longer in their present position. He intended to stick to the report, and he felt that '' the least said the soonest mended."

The Mayor seconded Cr Taylor's motion. Cr Otley said he was sincerely sorry that an old officer who had carried out his work so well (according to previous reports from the committee) should have to resign. The council had been told that Mr Scott had done his work very well. They all knew that he was not able to express himself too clearly at times, but his knowledge and advice were absolutely sound. He thought it a mistake to change their officer when the work was almost complete. The council could not do anything worse than accept the resignation. "CUT AND DRIED." Cr Hunter also' opposed the motion. He had been a member of the Electrical Committee for two years, and he had the greatest admiration Of Mr Scott's ability. Mr Scott should be given the, chance to complete the "work he had inaugurated. He thought that a position was being created for somebody else. Councillors: No, no. Cr Hunter: I believe that it is cut and dried already, and that this is only a blind. '''.''■ Cr Taylor: I object to this sort of thing. The Mayor also objected, and told Cr Hunter he was quite wrong. Cr Hunter withdrew, but a moment later brought down the wrath of Cr Burgoyne on his head, with a protest against a repetition of his "insinuations." UNDER DIFFICULTIES. Cr Sorensen said that he felt very sorry about the whole matter. He felt that Mr Scott had not had all the opportunity he should have had. He could see very well that the council could not do otherwise than accept the resolution, but he felt very sore about it. He felt that one of their officers had been badly treated.. Cr Hayward objected to these remarks. ' Cr Sorensen said that Mr Scott had not had the confidence of the committee for a long time, and had worked under difficulties. Cr Reynolds said that the engineer had not been working under greater difficulties than the committee. The committee could get no information at all from Mr Scott. The Mayor: This is all a most unfortunate and damaging discussion. Cr Millar said that he believed that Mr Scott was a good man, whose work had been approved by very competent engineers. Evidently there was serious trouble between the engineer and the committee. NOT A SQUARE DEAL. Cr McCullough contended that Mr

Scott's resignation had not been before the committee. He had disagreed with the committee all the way through in its attitude towards Mr Scott. Mr Scott had not had a fair deal. The council had allowed him to go on with his scheme until it had been practically within reach of completion, and now it proposed to supersede him. The Mayor: As an engineer, Mr Scott's ability has never been questioned. Cr McCullough: Then why ask for his resignation? Cr Tavlor: You know as well as we do. Cr McCullough: I know that members of the committee have been against him since I have been on the committee. If he had come round us and given us a shove we would have thought him a very fiue fellow. Mr Parry himself has said that Mr Scott is a cautious man, working on absolutely safe lines. Cr McCullough moved:—"That this council requests Mr Crombie Scott to withdraw his resignation until the completion of the present electrical scheme.'' Cr Loasby seconded the amendment. There had been a feeling of antagonism against Mr Scott since the present committee came into office. The committee had turned down his application for a rise to £6OO, and proposed to appoint another man at £IOOO. The work of the electrical engineer had been capable and efficient, and the Mayor, after describing Mr Scott's work as a masterpiece, now wished to relieve him of his office. Cr Hunter said that the committee's chief objection to Mr Scott was that he could not talk. Some of the councillors could not understand him if he talked till he was black in the face. Cr G. Scott said that the council would be doing Mr Scott a kindness in accepting his resignation. He supported the recommendation of the committee. A BUSINESS UNDERTAKING. Cr Hayward said that no councillor was capable of passing an opinion on the scheme who had' not had some experience on the committee. The council was involved in a huge commercial undertaking, and it had to be controlled in a business way. He thought that the reflections cast by some of the councillors on the members of the committee were not at all creditable. Cr Burgoyne said that the discussion which had taken place was deplorable. It would be absolutely impossible for Mr Scott now to work with the committee, and he would not wish to see the amendment carried. The Mayor again said that the council should have gone into committee. The council had not got half the information it would have got in that case. The committee had not washed its dirty linen in public. Cr Taylor said that the committee was tackling a big undertaking. From the accumulation of facts, to his knowledge, they could not go on in the present position. He pointed out that the scheme would be going on for many years—it would always bo increasing. It was quite beside the point to say that a position was being created for another man—the gentleman Cr Hunter had in his mind would not be an applicant. It was quite to say that Mr Scott had not had a fair chance—personally, the speaker had gone out of his way to assist Mr Scott, and so had other members of the committee. The amendment was lost by 10 votes to 5, and the recommendation was adopted. Cr McCullough invited the.council to accept his resignation as a member of the Electrical Committee, as a protest against the committee's action. Various councillors remonstrated, but Cr McCullough was obdurate, and the resignation was accepted.