COUNCILLOR HOAR AND THE BOROUGH ENGINEER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8106, 28 March 1906, Page 6

COUNCILLOR HOAR AND THE BOROUGH ENGINEER.

VARIOUS QUESTIONS.

THE MAYOR DEFINES A COUN-

CILLOR'S DUTY.

At the meeting of the Masterton Borough Counoil, lust evening, Cr Hoar asked the Engineer several questions, through the Mayor. The first query was whether a permit had ever been issued to Messrs Levin and Co. for their new building in Chapel Street; if not, why not? and why the time for the issue of such permit had been allowed to lapse without a summons hbviug been issued, when other similar offenders had been brought to book? The Engineer stated that the matter referred to had bßen reported to the Council, and it was still in the Council's bands. OrEwington: "That is so." Cr Hoar then asked what had been the cost uf summoning Mr Rigg for a bleach of the building bylaws? Cr Ewington thought that if any Councillor wanted such information he should obtain it from the Town Clerk or from the minute books, and not waste the time pf the Council. Cr Hoar said it was a fair question, and he thought that as a Councillor he a perfect right to ask such a question. The Mayor said he took it that Councillors were elected by the ratepayers to do their duty, and what was a Councillor's duty? He thought it was to make himself conversant with the Council's busineds, and to look after the ratepayers' interests in that manner iustead of wasting the time of the Counoil. Discussion on Cr Hoar's question then dropped. Cr Hoar then remarked that he thought that a certain notice of motion was to have been before the Council that evening, but he did not want to ask why it was not there. However, he would ask who was going to pass Mr Dobson's plans in connection with the erection of a building in Cole Street, which be had seen advertised? The Engineer, on being questioned by the Mayor, said that he had prepared plans for a buildine in Cole Street, but whether the work was going on or not he could not eay. He bad ncthing to do with erection! the buldlng. The Mayor said that he thought Cr Elliott's motion—"That the Engineer be instructed not to do any private work while in the employ of the Council"—would, when brought on, cover the question. If Mr Dobßon prepared plans for the building and was going on with the work he thought that it would be for blm, as Borough Engineer, to pass the work. He (the Mayor) did not know whether that was right or not. Cr Elliott said he had good reasons for not moving his nbtioe of motion at that meeting, bat he intended to bring it before the next meeting of the Council. The next query by Cr Hoar was: When was the .septic tank cleaned out last? The Mayor, in answer, stated that it was last cleaned out about twelve months ago, and, as far m the Council knew, it was in an efficient state at the present time. The next business of the meeting was then prooeeded with.