CITY ELECTRICITY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 249, 24 November 1914, Page 5

CITY ELECTRICITY.

AN ENGINEERING APPOINTMENT.

The City Council last evening made the appointment of an electrical engineer as a successor to Mr J. Crombie Scott.

The Electricity Committee reported that 59 applications were received for this appointment, including some from America, New Zealand, and many from Australia. The committee gave the whole matter very careful consideration, and reduced the number to six, which were again closely scrutinised, and the committee came to the unanimous decision to recommend the Council to appoint Mr E. E. Stark, of Dunedin. Mr Stark was engineer to the original Waipori Falls Company and, on the works being taken over by the Dunedin Corporation, was" appointed city electrical engineer, which position he held up to a few months ago, and during his occupancy of which he succeeded in. building up a large and remunerative business, besides negotiating contracts for the supply of electricity to > adjacent local authorities. Mr Stark holds the diplomas of Baehelor of Science, and Fellow of the American Institute of Electrical- Engineers. Besides being an electrical engineer of undoubted qualifications, the committee was convinced that Mr Stark had just the commercial experience winch' was required to make the Christchurch City undertaking a financial success. The committee Was convinced that he would fill the position to the.satisfaction of the council and the Christchurch public. Mr Stark will be able to commence his duties almost immediately, which was a matter earnestly; to be desired. The committee recommended that in the notification of his appointment Mr Stark be informed that a clear interpretation, satisfactory to the committee, was to be placed upon clause 9 of the conditions of appointment dealing with the increases in salary. The committee was pleased to be able to state that the council's invitation drew a considerable number of applications of an exceedingly high standard. • Cr Hunter asked whether any Btipula-. tion was made in regard to canvassing councillors by applicants. It was stated that there was no such stipulation; Cr Hunter said that he was canvassed by the gentleman. recommended for appointment, >and by one other. It was absolutely unfair to other applicants who were outside the district, and circumstances had been made specially favourable for the gentleman recommended for appointment. He would like to'see the matter held over. He was not satisfied. Cr A. S. Taylor (chairman of the Electrical Committee) said that if Cr Hunter was going to refer to individuals it would be better to go into committee. ' Cr Hunter moved that the matter be held over, and that tlie council hold a special meeting to appoint an electrical engineer., He wanted a square deal for all the applicants who had not canvassed the whole of the councillors as this gentleman had done. Cr McCullough seconded the motion. Cr Williams: He has not canvassed me! "Nor me!" chorussed several other members. Cr McCombs said that the council could not delay making the appointment. The Mayor said that there were 59 applicants. The commitee had held three meetings during the past week, and a selection had been made. There were several excellent applications. As far as the canvassing was concerned, he did not think that it had any effect on the views of councillors. It did no good as far as he was concerned, and probably had the opposite effect to that desired by the applicant, it was important to know that the committee was absolutely unanimous in its recommendation. The council went into committee, and adopted the recommendation made by the committee, appointing Mr Stark, of Dunedin, to the position. Crs CcCullough, Hunter, and Millar opposed the motion. In open council, Cr Hunter recorded his protest against the appointment, which, he said, was "a farce." Cr Taylor made some remarks on Cr Hunter's "temerity," saying that he was recording his vote on the side of commercial stagnation. ~ .. . Cr Hunter spiritedly voiced his opinion that the council would never get a commercial and- ele.ctrical success in the one man. Crs Millar and McCullough also voiced their protests.