CITY COUNCIL SIDELIGHTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12687, 8 July 1919, Page 5

CITY COUNCIL SIDELIGHTS.

COAL AND PERSONALITIES.

(Written for the “Star.”)

_ There is a vast difference between a sitting of the City Council and any other city assemblage. Anyone who has sat at the reporters’ table in the corner year in and year out would probably put the difference down to the superficial air of business that pervades the chamber, the sheaves of typed reports before each member, the crystal decanters and tumblers, suggesting im-< portent debates, the. robes and chain of his Worship, the minute books, over which the Town Clerk and his deputy preside, and the terrible seriousness of the Press gallery. All this is illuminated by the latest system of indirect lighting that electrical wizardry’ can conjure, and warmed by real coal fifes. Small wonder that many citizens fill the gallery nightly, passing a pleasant if not profitable eveningLast night there was a warm cushion of air indoors and a hard frost outside. The municipal weather forecast registered “squally” in the prospect Of a gusty debate on the Mayor’s coal researches. The gallery was packed with a slightly less proletarian gathering than usual. The Mayor had assumed his best bedside manner, and be opened breezily, welcoming Councillor Cuthbert Harper back after his illness, and felicitating the absent Councillor W. Nieholls with the remark that he had “ taken it upon himself to get married again.” Two deputations were promised, from the Port Christchurch League and the Automobile Association. lire first serious business was the voting of £3OO to Nurse Maude’s District Nursing Committee. The Mayor’s motion was hold up temporarily by Councillor Flesher’s perennial plea that finance matters should go first to the Finance Committee. Nobody was courageous enough to vote against tne grant, which was agreed to without dissent. A brief debate ensued as to whether the council should accede to the suggestion of the R.S.A. that Anzac Day should be observed on April 25 whatever, day of the week it fell upon, and not on the nearest Sunday. This motion partly fell and was partly pushed through by the Mayor, who was keen on getting on with the job, and Councillor Flesher alone dissented, A funereal discussion on the proposed extension of the tramline in the direction of the Bromley Cemetery was relieved by tbe suggestion of Councillor Harper that by all means the Linwood'councillors should be given easy access to the cemetery. The council decided to support the extension, Councillor Flesher again providing the voice in the wilderness of opposition. The Port Christchurch deputation went off at half-cock, for the speakers asked for financial support, ostensibly for the purpose of obtaining expert advice, but finally in answer to close questioning they admitted that no immediate Engineering advice was in prospect, but that money (an amount not specified) was required to pay past expenses and carry on propaganda work. It seemed a pity that a more definite programme had not been mapped out by the league, for the deputation “kicked off” briskly with a very fine speech by Mr L. M, Isitt, who sounded the right keynote, that whichever of the contesting schemes was right, or wrong, the present facilities were intolerable. The friends of the league on the council came to the rescue, after a most unusual debate, with the suggestion that the league should submit a balance-sheet, and the matter was thereupon referred to the Finance Committee- A similar course was followed ,in regard to a • request for a donation towards the entertainment of Admiral Jellicoe and liia men, the only comment on the matter being a disdainful sniff from the Labour comer. On this matter it , may be assumed very safely that a doi nation will be forthcoming. As far as the general public are concerned much of the business of the council might be done in Chinese, for it Hies through in the form of clause 1, 2 or 3 of reports, which are unintelligible to any hut those with the copies in front of them, and, even then, some Rip Van Winkles wake up long, after a clause is passed, and want to debate it. For these laggard councillors there is no mercy, for it is on rare exceptions that the council will retrace its steps, and so far the new Mayor has not been guilty of such retrogression. From the clauses as they fly through some little gleams of- enlightenment come occasionally, as a question is asked and answered. A very welcome announcement to beauty-lovers dropped from a chairman of committee last night, when he fetated .that it was the' policy to avoid the erection of poles in the city, and rather to run underground cables or overhead construction .as dn the tramway system. Certainly the city is becoming a forest of poles, and town planners look askance at electrical extensions in sb far as they mean more stark, staring poles and wires. Another matter that the public gallery became perplexed about last night was a protest by a solitary councillor that for the sake of accepting the lowest tender, the Electrical Committee had accepted an American instead of a British fonder. “You will he accepting German tenders next year,” said a councillor, scornfully. For some reason or other the Mayor's coal dealings have labelled the first consignment as “Mayor’s coal” and the discussion "on this piece of municipal enterprise was long and at times lively, although Dr Thacker had a verysolid majority behind him. The opposition was voiced by Councillor Agar, whose speech was somewhat personal in tone, and was directed largely against the autocratic manner in which the business had been conducted. Taking a calm view of tbe discussion after the acerbities 'of debate have died down, one is hound to say that the council was unanimous on the need for some relief from the coal shortage, and although one or two of the Labour councillors tried to make political capital out cf the objections of Councillors M’Kellar and Agar, and-one even -threw mud about the “ monopoly of coal and butter,” the Mayor.closed down on these ebullitions in a very tired tone, and at the conculsion of the debate even Coun- ' cillor Agar climbed down to some extent from his previous attitude by re- ’' marking that he had only objected to the diverting of coal for a motive other than the relief of necessity. The coun- ■ cil approved of the first order of 600 tons, but decided, before going on with the gate, ho sret a. report on the cost v of the .first 230 tons at a meeting to be held in a week’s time. This report, if it is'made public, will make mighty interesting reading. The debates lasted until after eleven o’clock, and the council wag m a favourable mood for the s ? reception of Councillor Flesher’s motion "'that in future the council should not go beyond 10-30 p.m., apart from nutting . through the business which might bo in . hand at that hour. Councillor Flesher timed his run very well for it was evident that with a little more tilrie for reflection some serious objections might' have been found to the motion. However, the. thing went through, half-heartedly, and the councillors adjourned for a week in The prospect, of another interesting debate . on coal. • . ; „

The Rugby Street Schoolroom was jxowded to its utmost capacity on Saturday evening, when a grand draw-ingf-room entertainment was tendered to the St Albans Methodist Church by the Christchurch Lyric Four (Messrs J. T Morgan, H Bkkeley, K. Mow and B. J. Johnson), who were assisted by the following concert artists-Mr Rev Harrison (baritone), Miss Bessie Olds (soprano). Miss Mabel Dyer (contralto), Miss Vera' Hanna (elocutionist), Miss G. M. Lorimer '(solo pianiste), and Mj& OUvs; (Mc^g^niati. t* — 1 — —- *-■-i—•