MUNICIPAL MATTERS.

Colonist, Volume XLIX, Issue 11967, 21 June 1907, Page 4

MUNICIPAL MATTERS.

IZ£^ To The Editor. | Sir, — In your issue of the 17th inst. I notice there are four different questions mentioned in your report of the City Council proceedings under the following headings, viz. : "City Works and Foreman," "The Mayor and the Surveyor," "The Drainage Committee," and "The City Council and the Charitable Aid Board." I siiculd like to make a few remarks on three of them— the fourth, I will refer) to later on. 'I. Ec retaining Mr Kenning at a .salary of £3 10s per week as Foreman of Works. In my opinion, that is all right— Mr Kenning is a competent man as overseer, and has always done his duty. So far so good. But your report says that the Mayor suggested that the foreman should take his instructions from him. I wonder what that means? If it simply means that the foreman is to get certain works carried out, well and good ; but if it means that the Mayor is to instruct him how work* is to be done, then it is all humbug, because if the foreman dors not know how the work should be done, 1 feel sure the Mayor cannot enlighten him, and that the advice of an engineer would be necessary. 2. The Mayor and the Surveyor. At a previous meeting of the Council it was decided to give Mr Hendersun (the late £ngineer)a testimonial; but at the meeting on Friday night it transpired that the decision of the previous meeting had not been given effect to. The Mayor informed the

Council that the seal of the Counfcil would have to be afflyed, but before • anything was done he had a few facts to bring before them. Counoilor Hampson very properly rose to a point of order, and said the Mayor was referring to a matter' already dealt with. The Mayor said there waß no point of order. Oh I My conscience. I wonder how many times the Mayor has ruled Councilors out of order on parallel; cases when it has suited his purpose to^ do so. Cr Hampson deserves credit for the remarks he made on that occasion, i presume from the Mayor '■ remarks that the "few facts" had something to do with the ironwork re Normanby Bridge. 3. The City Council and the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. Councilor Franklyn is reported to bave said: "At present they were represented by threß gentlemen who represented no one." He moved that in order to secure representation en the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board in accordance with the policy of this Council, Messrs Pettit, Harrison, and Atmore be respectfully requested to send in their resignations. This was seconded by Councilor Grace. Now, my opinion is that for a spcimen of downright impudence this (if there he any prize for such a thing) would undoubtdly take the cake. It is all bosh for the mover of the motion to try and give it a thin coating of "civic righteousness' 5 ; but it is too transparent, for anyone who can see through a foar-inch wire netting can see through the object of the mover and his two chums. The Mayor said he thought these gentle^ men (Messrs Harrison, Pettit, and Atmore) were guilty of bad taste in not haying asked the opinion of the Uouncil. I should like to .ask Mr Piper (the present Mayor) if when he was defeated by ex-Mayor Baient, and was Chairman of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, did he not continue to occupy that position; did he ask the opinion of the Council, or did he offer to resign? No ; be stuck to his posiion, and Messrs Harrison, Pettit and Atinore are simply doing the same thing, and properly so, too. They were elected for a certain term, and until that term expires they hold their positiocs. As for Councilor Franklyn's's motion, it was very properly lost; but had it been carried, my opinion of Messrs Harrison, Pettit apd Atmore is that they would have been too manly and gentlemanly to have taken any notice of it, and so treated it with the contempt it would have deserved. Yours, etc., PRO BONO PUBLICO.