MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16470, 5 July 1921, Page 6

MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL.

HIS WORSHIP EXPLAINS. THE AGAR INCIDENT. An overcrowded public gallery looked down on city councillors when thej- assembled last night. They had to force their way up crowded staircases, where officers of the council kept at bay scores of citizens who wished to gain admittance. Outside the building another crowd cf disappointed late-comers slowly dispersed. The interest of the public had been keenly whetted by the proceedings at the previous meeting of the council, when the Mayor, by rulings which many of the councillors challenged, had precipitated a noisy arid angry scene, as a sequel to which Councillor C. P. Agar handed in liis* resignation. A MOTION CHALLENGED. There was almost a Sabbath calm in the Council Chamber when the Mayor (Dr Thacker, M.P.) took his seat. After announcing that each councillor had received a copy of the minutes of the previous meeting, the Mayor moved that they should be confirmed. Councillor A. Manhire immediately rose and said he did not think that tne minutes were in order. There was a resolution in the minutes as carried that had not been put to the meeting. The Mayor: To what resolution do you refer? Councillor Manhire: The one referring the deficiency in the Prince of Wales’s entertainment account to the Electricity Committee. The Mayor: I myself put that motion to the meeting and declared it carried. Councillor Manhire : I object. I have no knowledge that it was carried. The Mayor: Your objection will be noted. Councillor A. Williams: I wish that my objection should also be noted. I had no opportunity of voting on that motion, and I had no idea it was put to the council. Tho Mayor: Your objection will be noted. The Mayor then put the motion that the minutes should be confirmed. Councillor Williams at once asked for a division. As a result the motion was carried by nine votes to six. The division list is:— Ayes. Noes. Flesher Williams Brunt M’KeUar Hervey Manhire Archer Andrews M’Combs Winßor Cooke Herbert Armstrong Hu Hi vail The Mayor. COMPROMISE SUGGESTED.

Councillor D. G. Sullivan said that at the confirmation of minutes it was customary to take matters arising out of the minutes. He suggested that as the proceedings at the conclusion of the last council meeting were hardly satisfactory either to the Mayor, to members of the council, or the general public, the Mayor at that stage might meet the wishes of the council and the citizens if he gave some explanation of the rulings that he then gave. “I think the matter might be handled without any heat,’’ Councillor Sullivan added, “ and merely that the whole matter might be cleared up in. a manner satisfactory to you and to the council and to the citizens. Certainly you gave some rulings which many of the councillors were not able to understand. It is possible that you can justifv those rulings, and I am sure the whole of the city will be interested to get from you your justification for the judgments you gave. I am just submitting this as a suggestion.” THE MAYOR?S EXPLANATION. “ I am quite agreeable to what you suggest,” .said the Mayor, rising. “It is the heated state of the council that permits these things to go along, and they are missed bj’ some. I will review the whole conduct of the business from the time that Councillor Agar rose. I wish to state that the document that was asked for—the balance-sheet—was not city business, and had nothing to do with the City Council except for one item—the deficit on the electrical supply—which concerned our electricity department. The inauguration of the discussion or debate was a question asked by ex-Councillor Agar, and he immediately then became out of order by making a heated conical speech. “ It was question time.” the Mayor continued. “At question time, as at other times, the time is sacred to questions, and had ex-Counciilor Agar confined himself to the question—that is, what was going to be done about the deficit-—I was going to recommend the council that it be handed over first of all to the electric light department to give us their balance-sheet. When he sat down Councillor Cooke moved that this matter be referred to the Royal Reception Committee, and I-told Councillor Cooke that I would not take this resolution—that it was not city business in that direction. Councillor Cooke then moved the motion that is here in his name, seconded by Conncillor Armstrong, and I toojc that motion, which was one handing tljis matter over to the Electricity Committee. I put that to the council, asked for ‘ Ayes ’ and ‘ Noes,’ and, as is usual in an assembly where there is no response or objection made, it is declared carried. I declared that carried. Then Councillor Agar arose with his amendment, and he ought to have known that having already spoken he had no right to move an amendment.

COUNCILLOR AGAR TOO LATE. “Not only that,” the Mcor added, “ but Councillor Agar defied the chairman—that is the Mayor—with contempt, and had I exercised my powers I should have moved a vote of contempt against him. I did not do so. I have not done that since I have been Mayor, and T hope I never will have to. That is as far as that is concerned. Councillor M’Combs seconded that amendment of Councillor Agar’s, which was too late, and which was, as a matter of fact, out of order, because it was not council business that was being considered, and he had already spoken to it. Then the next motion was that this council disagree with the ruling of Ills Worship the Mayor. That could not be done except by notice of motion. If it could be done, then our standing orders make no provision for it. The last amendment that Councillor Agar moved was that this council do now adjourn.’ Councillor Agar had no ability to move that amendment then, because he had already spoken, and the motion had been already carried. However, this motion of adjournment can be moved at a moment’s notice by anyone who has not spoken in the debate, and it was not moved by anyone who had not spoken. The minutes state now that the motion mo\ r ed by Councillor Cooke was put and carried. As a matter of fact I put it and declared it carried before any amendment came at all. That is a distinct recollection on my part.” “ I think that is all there is to explain,” said the Mayor, in conclusion. “ Councillor Agar was out of order in the first place in making a speech At question time. I held no hard and fast rule, but in a case like that it is within the discretion of the Speaker in the House to allow anybody to sneak, as T did; hut for him to expect then to put an amendment was quite out of order. And at question ‘time you can only ask questions.” THE MAYOR CHALLENGED. As the Mayor sat down Councillor A. Manhire rose.

“ There is no debate on that,” said the Mayor. “ I was asked for an explanation.” “ Might I be allowed a word,” said Councillor Manhire, “ because the explanation is not correct.”

“ The next order of the day,” said the Mayor, “ is to pass on to the next business- If you want to move any further you can give notice of motion. jt will be considered at the next meeting.”

The matter sank quietly into the background for the next five minutes, but when the Mavor called for notices of motion, Councillor E. M’Combs was at once on her feet. The notice of motion which she lodged was : “That a special committee be appointed to prepare a set of up-to-date standing orders for the City Council.” Councillor Manhire followed Councillor M’Combs with the following notice of motion : “ That this council disagrees with the Mayor’s ruling on Councillor Agar’s amendment at the last meeting of the council.” COUNCILLOR AGAR’S RESIGNATION. There was a smooth passage for the receipt of Councillor Agar’s resignation. When the letter was referred to by the Mayor, Councillor C. W. Hervey immediately moved that it should be accepted. “W’ith regret,” fie added, after he had sat down. Councillor J. R. Brunt seconded the motion. “Can we hear the letter read,” said Councillor J. K. Archer. “ Certainly,” said the Mayor, and the council read the letter. It ran:— Dear Sir, — I formally beg to notify you of my resignation as a member of the Christchurch City Council. At no small inconvenience to ' myself, in response to a request from many representative citizens, I agreed to offer my services to the city. I have, during my association with the council, done the best I could in the interests of the city, but I find that, with such occurrences as took place in the council Chamber last evening, it is impossible for one to maintain any dignity when business is conducted in such a manner. Therefore, though I desire to assist my city, I cannot do so at the price that is asked under present circumstances. Yours faithfully, CHAS. P. AGAR. “ Might I point out,” said Councillor A- Williams, “that the resignation is accepted automatically, and the only thing this council can do is to receive the letter.”

“ It all amounts to the same thing,” said the Mayor. “That the letter be received: Those in favour say * Aye/ to the contrary 1 No.’ The letter is received.” The motion was carried with two “Ayes” and no dissentients.