“THE VILLAGE BLACKSMITH.”

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 22 December 1925, Page 9

“THE VILLAGE BLACKSMITH.”

Municipal Pyrotechnics. ; FREE CHRISTAIAS DISPLAY. “The smith,, a might man is he.” Tins is apparently •as true tcl-dhy as when Oliver Goldsmith penned his immortal - lines many long years ago. it one .niav judge Dy the linuience which a smith has exerted over the doings oi the Timaru .borough Council for many moons -past. . .. Last, night, in the presence of tinsmith in question, anti a goodly com pany of onlookers who filled every available inch of sitting room in the Council Chaiiibor, the' Council discussed tlie appointment of a stable'inan-blaeksmitu to lil.l tlie' position vacated some tim«. ago by. Air R. \Ve.sh, who was again a candidate for the position. There wore fourteen applications, and the Works Committee recommended the appointment of Air \V. Brown, of 'J nnaru. Councillor Hunt dissenting from tins recommendation. Applications were is, ceived from Timaru, Leeston, Sydenham, 'Pleasant Point, Mackenzie Country, Geraldine, St. Andrews, Albury, Fairlie, and Morven. .... When the committee’s recommendation Came up for Consideration, Councillor F. 1 B. Hawkey moved that Alt R. Welsh he appointed to the position named.. .The'Mayor ruled tlie amendment out ,pf drdcr, 'Shying that tlie' matter lmtl‘ -already been discussed till the Council had become the talk of New Zealand, .and he was not going to allow any more of tlie tinie, of the Council to bo wasted' over ' it. He had had quite enough of, it. . Welsh’s hand-writing had been submitted to three experts, all o, whom had declared that the writing in the stableman’s book was his, and until-•'Welsh could prove who had ./m----jmiitted the forgery, which lie. stated it was,, tho Council could not consider liis application. , Councillor Hunt rose to speak . Tho Alayor: Aly ruling is. that tilt .amendment is out- of order, and if you .wish ,to take further action, your remedy is to go to the Supreme Court aind” get" a. lulling. In the meantime I rule.itlie amendment out of order.” ! Councillor P. J, Kelly wanted to .kiiqw how many men had applied'to tlm Council for work during 'the past two years. ' Tho'Mayor said that tlie information could, be but lie failed to see ho\y it had anything; to do .with, the .matter. I Councillor W. H. Hunt rose to object.'td the .Mayor’s-ruling.' The Alayor: “You have, your, recourse jyou can go to the Supreme i Court;.”' Councillor Hunt: “If voil are going 'to'-thwart tlie Council, J I’m going to move for a Departmental inquiry. You are not.gging to sit on me.” • The'Mayor: “You can do wliat you like, blit-if you want to waste any more of-'ilie time of this Council, you’ll have to get someone else in this chair.” : Councillor Hunt: "We may have to do that yet.” - Councillor Yimiell' asked the Alayor id- give reasons for bis ruling. : The ' -Mayor: “Y'ou have my ruling and, .if, yqu want any other you can go to'tiie.Court for it.” In reply to Councillor Benstead, the Alayor gave a similar answer. Councillor Benstead asked the Mayer, whether -the Council was governed by standing orders ? The Alayor said not necessarily. “AJ v ruling may be wrong, but I’ve given u and am going to stick to it. If you wish to-test it, you can go to the Supreme Court.” : • Councillfar Benstead challenged the Mayor's' lading, and the Alayor was bound to abide by the stahding-orders placed before him in proper form. - - Tlie Ala.Vo'r • “I’m not going to avaste ‘any-mere time over this question.” ■Councillor Benstead said they had fstanding'-orders, "but the Alayor absolutely refused to abide by them. ! Coiiiicilloi- Sattertliwaito -said the Af.ayor could refuse an 'amendment if lib thoigbt fit. ’ ' Councillors Kelly arid Benstead Then moved : “That the committee’s, recommendation be held over until information''ife' forthcoming as to'tbefiuinber of men who have placed' their ' narries on the employment book” of the'''Council ■diliing the past two years.” Councillor Sattcrthwaite said that that was not an amendment, it was merely camouflage, in' order to postpone, tho matter. '"The Alavor said be could not see that the amendment bad anything whatever to”ilo-with the matter, and he ruled it out of order. - Councillor Gibb asked if it was a fact that at the Council’s previous meeting it lias been unanimously decided to call applications for tin's position ?. , Tig , Alayor said yes.

Councillor Gibb: “Well, what connection is tliero between that motion and Councillor Kelly’s amendment?” Councillor Benstcad then moved that the clause in the committee’s report relating to this appointment be deleted. In reply to Councillor Rattertb waite the Mayor ruled Councillor Kelly’s amendment out of order. Couneil’or Kelly said that it was not camioufiafre : lie had a reason for wanting the information hut was not prepared to disclose at the moment. Councillor Benstcad, speaking to his amendmentj said that any honest man could not vote that this clause in the report be adopted, until the Mayor or the Council had agreed that the whole matter of the issuing and accounting for the Council’s stores be, investigated by the Auditor-General. He intended to move to this effect. The Mayor told Councillor Benstcad that his remarks were quite out of order and had nothing to do with the amendment. Councillor Yinnell here moved : “That the Mayor’s ruling be disagreed with;’’ and he asked that it be put to the mceting.” The Mayor said that he would not accept it, and would not put it to the meeting.' Councillor Yinnell said that the M ayor would have to submit it to the meeting. The Mayor said that,he had ruled it oilb because it was not in the best interests of the Borough that this wrangling should continue, and if the Council wanted to know if he was right or wrong, they could ask the Supremo Court. . - Councillor Yinnell was proceeding to speak further, when the Mayor told him lie Wend'd hear no more from him. Councillor Benstcad ; “Will you agree that the matter he referred to the Auditor-General?” ■ ’Hie Mayor ignored Councilor Benstead’s question, and asked Councillors if they were prepared to vote. Councillor Benstcad. interjected that the Mayor was surely not the Czar ol Russia. Councillor Satterlhwaite said that, at a previous meeting. Councillor Tiawkev hnri moved that applications for this position lie invited, and it seemed peculiar that soiii" Councillors should now want to put the matter off. Councillor Buistead.: “You'll hear more of litis: it is a case of the minority of Hie Council trying to rule the majority.” Councillor Hunt Mas proceeding to sav that the blacksmith had not had a. fair deal, when the Mayor fold him to sit 'down : lie would Imar no more. Councillor Ifondcad’s amendment, Ghat the committee's recommendation, for fhe appointment of Mr Brown he deleted from the report!, was then put to the vote, and carried by seven votes

to six. the voting being as follows: For —Councillors Hart, Benstead. Arnold, Hawkey, Hunt. Vihncll and Kelly. Against—The Alayor, Counoillolr.s Sattcrthwaite, Gibb, Flay, AlcNab, and Chittoek. Councillor Benstead then moved that the Auditor-General he asked to conduct an inquiry into the question of issuing the Connon's stores. The Alavor said that this was not in order, and wrui’d not take it. Councillor Ileus*>'a<l : “AVell what is inv pi-oner course' 1 ” The Alavor: “That is your business to find out.” His AVorxhio said that concluded the business." of the evening, and he '-declared the meeting closed. He wished Cmnu-illors- the enmi'li'nents of the season. and said lie hoped there would not. he so much time wasted at the Coueed tali’e next year as had been wasted this year. Councillor Hunt said that it wn= not Cnniiclhu's who had wasted the till':", and lie objected to any reflection on them. The Alayor: “AVell. that is all right so long as your conscience is clear. Aline is.” 'C'umeillor Hunt: “Po is mine, and it won’t disturb me in the least. Councillor Hay said that whatever their <l ; fi'n>-eiK-“s might he inside the Connell Chamber thev dul n"t enri-v them outside, and on behalf of the f’nniK-il. he wish ah the Alavor and Alavoress a happv Christmas season.