OPOTIKI’S TROUBLES

Taranaki Daily News, 24 August 1933, Page 7

OPOTIKI’S TROUBLES

PROCEEDINGS OF COUNCIL. ACRIMONIOUS DISCUSSION. Opotiki, Aug. 22. Members of the Opotiki Borough Council spent an hour this evening in an acrimonious discussion of the minutes of three previous meetings, and in the end adjourned until next Tuesday to enable some members to put into writing certain alterations they wished to make in- the minutes circulated by the town clerk. The council chamber and the anteroom were again packed by members of the public. Mr. A. Anderson objected to the list of accounts which was said to have been passed as presented, with the exception of some items standing in his name which were held over. Several other alterations were asked for, Mr. Anderson saying that he would agree to confirmation if the alterations were made. The clerk stated that it was becoming the usual thing to question the correctness of the minutes, but he considered they were as accurate as any clerk could make them. He also thought that minutes taken down in writing by him at the time were more likely to be accurate than a man’s memory a month later. Messrs. S. Shalfoon and J. Main had an argument as to whether the general rate struck was lid or 3d. Mr. Shalfoon claiming that the former figure was correct. Mr. Main moved that the minutes be confirmed, but Mr. Anderson moved an amendment that the alterations be made as requested. The amendment was carried by 4 votes to 3. Mr. Short said the whole proceedings were becoming farcical, and he thought that a correct report of what took place should be forwarded to the Minister of Internal Affairs. After more argument Mr. . Anderson moved that the meeting be adjourned for a week to enable the alterations to be brought forward to the clerk for insertion in the minutes. The meeting was adjourned.