A COUNCIL ARRANGEMENT.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVI, Issue 16232, 30 March 1917, Page 9

A COUNCIL ARRANGEMENT.

To the Editor of the "Timaru Herald") Sir, —T. deem it advisable- to put before the public of Timaru a brief •rtatement of my position with reference to an important matter that lecently came up for consideration, at the hands of the Borough -Council. Mr Cal.away, our electrical engineer, j applied to the Electric Light Committee' if ave absence lasting for three months possibly longer. The aforesaid application was referred t>y this committee to the full Council with a recommendation that the applicant, Mr Callaway should be. heard in his own behalf. The discussion was held in committee, consisting of the Mayor and eight Councilors. Mr Callaway represented that he could come from Christ church to Timaru at mid-day on Ra+urctay and remain in town until mid-day on Monday. During that short stay he could -manage, so he alleged, to tret throuErh his worlc of supervision with the aid of i-110 foremen of each department. Now. T wish to point- out in this connect "Ml t-W, afternoon' is the Council's half holiday, aaid that- Smidav is not an ordinary working dnv. Jf. therefore, the foremen were oil let] upon tr> do duty during that time tf iry should have' to receive extra pfiv. More expense; to n»y mind unnecessary expense' for the borough, and a too heavy hurderi placed' upon the forfmen. In Christchnrch, where Mr C'allaway spends five days of the week, he hj: to be in the emoloy of Scott' Bros., with whom the Timnru .Borough Council has- entered into a contract running into thousands of pounds. Is it, I' nrlc, for the best interests of the people hfjre that thoir engineer should he in the service of the firm in Christchurch., from which so much that is useful and costly is being bought? Is not Mr Callaway placed in « rather awkward position? Is he not called, upon, under peculiar conditions to | serve two masters? Can he. being so circumstanced, givo, even with the best intentions, entire satisfaction to the: Timaru folk.' and escape all reasonable, suspicion? Lastly, the electric licht ; riant will, durino; the enmino; winter, 1 bo called upon for a much larger out-j

put than before, owing to the increased iist of subscribers-, and so, if the engineer's important work is to be dono with efficiency and satisfaction to all our citizens, his presence in Timam is demanded with undoubted urgency and insistence. Sentiment has its place and can, as a rule, t>e fittingly manifested, but it should not be pushed, as it seems to me it lias been pushed in this particular case, beyond doe limits, to the detriment of our town and its enlightened citizens. —I am, etc. J. P. MURPHY. March 29, 1917.