MR GEORGE DASH REPROVED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21087, 13 July 1938, Page 8

MR GEORGE DASH REPROVED

Indiscretion Alleged Deputation to Works Minister When the chairman (Mr G. Dash) reported to a meeting of the South Canterbury Electric Power Board yesterday that he, with another Waimate member, Mr S. I. Fitch, had, without instructions from the Board, waited on the Minister of Public Works (Hon. R. Semple) to place before him the Board’s side of a dispute between it and the Timaru Borough Council, he received a gentle rebuke for what was claimed to be an Indiscretion.

After reading a report regarding the deputation to the Minister, Mr Dash said he and Mr Fitch had acted without instructions from the Board and it was open to the meeting either to reprove them for their action or adopt their report.

“We are tired of reproving you for doing things you should not do.’’ smilingly remarked Mr A. N. Oakey, with a remonstrative shake of his head.

Mr J. R. Hart, the Borough Council representative on the Board, said that perhaps both bodies were wrong in bringing the matter ■ . Who Started It? “The test is who started it,” said Mr F. J. Cook. It was the intention of the Borough Council, he thought, to place the matter before the Municipal Supply Authorities’ Association and the Power Boards’ Association to see if some solution acceptable to both parties could not be reached, said Mr Hart. He did not think Messrs Dash and Fitch had made a grave indiscretion by bringing the matter before the Minister, said Dr. P. K. Woodhouse, but he did think it indiscreet to suggest the amalgamation of the two bodies v.hen the matter had not been discussed by the Board. “Do you move that our action be approved, then?” asked Mr Dash. “With that reservation,” replied Dr. Woodhouse. Chairman's Report In his report, Mr Dash said: "On the day previous to our meeting Mr Semple, newspaper reports appeared of a meeting of the Timaru Borough Council and these newspaper reports announced that the Timaru Borough Council had turned down again our offer of a renewal of the present agreement, which had been previously met with the mistaken statement that an agreement had been made between the Power Boards Association and the Supply Authorities that five per cent be the amount of profit accepted by the boards in cases of selling bulk power to Municipal authorities," said Mr Dash. “The Council had decided to write to the Minister and send a copy of its letter to the M.P. for Timaru. This being the ease we thought It our duty to this board to place in the hands of the Minister a full statement of the position between this board and the borough of Timaru. Having read the statement to the Minister we placed it in his hands. Mr Semple said he would open up the whole question of the relationship between the council and the board, and examine what appeared to him to be a very incongruous position. He was of opinion that a full discussion of the situation was called for and he would see that it was given, when he received the communication from the Timaru Borough Council.” The report was adopted.