TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL DISPUTE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 10217, 24 January 1895, Page 2

TARANAKI COUNTY COUNCIL DISPUTE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — With your permission, we feel i compelled to defend ourselves from the I aspersions cast on us by Mr Walter ' Bewley. We still maintain ho has made j use of his place to appoint and defend the foreman in every conceivable manner. Can the Chairman deny that he moved the Council adjourn for the purpose of bringing Mr Hamling before the Council ? Can the Chairman deny sending a messenger to the Reading Room, also through the the town, looking for Mr Hamling ? Did he not try all means in his power to get the foreman appointed in preference to the other applicants? Did not Mr McCullum protest against the adjourn ment for such a purpi.se, as it was not fair to the other applicants ? Let Mr Bewley answer the above questions. The Chairman sa^s he did not know Mr Hamling until he called on him soliciting an order for some firm he was travelling for; then he was struck with his sober appearance, &c.

What keen judgment tho Chairman is possessed of ! Just fancy appointing a commercial traveller as a working overseer for the Parihaka Riding! That clearly shows what our worthy Chairman knows about managing County roads, &c. The Chairman states in his letter : " The application of the man Messrs McCullum audMcGloinwishedappointedwasdelayed in the Post Office, and did not come before the Council." That is totally incorrect, as the minutes will show. It was proposed by Mr McCullum, seconded by Mr McGloin, "That Mr Humphrey be appointed foreman forthe Parihaka Riding." His application was before the Council. He was in town, and waiting outside the County office. The Chairman surely must know he is stating what is incorrect.' It is quite true the Council went into Committee, on the motion of Mr McCullum. The division was, four for discharging the foreman with a week'snotice, five against. We were not satisfied with the action of the Chairman in Committee. He said he was quite satisfied with the report Mr Hamling sent in — in other words he did not believe wh.it we said.

Surely it was the duty of the Chai,vmau to come and see for himself if he was doubtful of our word. We treated him very liberally by voting him £25 travelling expenses, but he has not been in this district for the last twelve months. He talks on matters he has not scon and knows nothing about. The Chairman uses some lofty phrases in his letter, viz., " utterly unfair," "un-English," "taking away a man's livelihood," "would not treat a man in a higher position in such a manuer," &c.

It is such nonsensical rubbish as this that in the past has placed the affiirs of the County in the unfortunate position it i 3 in— keeping men in billets for years who were unfit for their work, etc. The Chairman is trying to draw a red herring across the scent. What we want is a man willing to do a fair day's work and understands something ahaqt if The members of the various ridings were appointed a working committee by a resolution of the Council to look attar the working foreman ii> their separate ridings. As the Council had no permanent engineer we consider we weve only doing our duty in bringing tho matter before the Council. We don't agree in getting Mr O'Brien to report on tho work done by the foreman. Ir, is placing Mr O'Brien iv a peculiar position— a position he does not care to occupy. We are still of tbe> samo opinion ; the motion was. in order and quite distinct from, tho resolution moved by Mr McCnUnm. By appointing a commit^cQ the Council would have full particulars before them for their next meeting.

Finally, the Chairman comril;&ft o f the intemperato tone of om 1 fetssr, and says we are trying tp. gait a slur on him. Nothing o f tl\c kind ! If -wo wished to do so \vo could havo found other means long ago. What about the bungle he made of opening the tollgates illegally? What about the mess he made of raising the Eltham Road loan? We should like to i know what it cost the ratepayers to raise I this loan ? It has been dragging on foreleven months, ibrough the carelessness or ignorance of the Chairman not understanding the Loans to Local Bodies Act. We don't want to, take any unfair advantage of the foreman, but to treat him the san\o way wo intend to treat the Chairman, tliat is, to see he fulfils his t dvit^es better in the future than he has ' done in the pa*t. We shall jetura Mr Bewloy another quotation as a prebenti— •« Whore imioranco i)s bliss, 'tis foily to be wise." Thinking you in anticipation of inserting the above lotter, we shall leave the pubhoio judge who is right.— We are, &c T. McGloin, James McCui.jw>t. Rahotu.