CHRISTMAS COMPLIMENTS

Wairarapa Age, 17 December 1924, Page 5

CHRISTMAS COMPLIMENTS

COUNCILLORS AT VARIANCE.

WHO LET THE CAT OUT?

The last Borough Council meeting of the year, which was progressing smoothly and had almost closed, terminated qmte furiously last evening, when rather serious allegations were made across t'ho counecil table concerning the action of members in dealing with the discharging of a borough employee. The matter was introduced by Cr. T. Jordan, who said at the last Works Committee meeting, matter of a confidential nature had been discussed, and two days ago he had the discussion. recited verbatim to him by a prominent public official. Any councillor who would do a thing like that,

said Cr. Jordan, was not fit to bo sitting at the Council table. Cr. Evans and Cr. Russell both rose to reply, the chair ruling in favour of the latter. Cr. Russell said information had got out in a similar manner before, and he considered the leakage was through, the office. The Town Clerk placed his rough minutes before the clerk, and it was time tire office staff was informed that such information was to be treated confidential-

Cr. Jordon: I don’t believe it. That is an unfair statement to make. Cr. Evans rose and drew the attention of the council to a paragraph in the Works Committee’s report recommending the termination of the engagement of the custodian of the ladies’ baths. “I was the councillor who spread the news, as you call it/’ he said, “and I plead guilty.” Cr. Jordan: Well, it is most reprehensible. I never heard of such a thing—to go and give confidential information to persons concerned of such discussions in committee. I repeat what. I said that a man is not fit to hold a seat at this table who would do such a thing.

Cr. Evans: The Mayor and I appointed this woman, and when I read the report before the council meeting I was surprised to sec that she had been discharged. I made inquiries from Cr. Jordan and he informed njo over the telephone why the action had been taken. Tho speaker proceeded to give Cr. Jordan’s alleged statement coneerning complaints about the woman, which drew a storm of protest and denial from Cr. Jordan.

Cr. Evans: I say it is not right to dismiss a servant like this without giving her the right to bo heard. It is not British fair play and I say'it is dirty of you to do it. Cr. Jordan: Thank you. Heated passages between the two councillors followed, the conversation being coloured with occasional interjections from the other side of the table.

Cr. Temple rose to a: point of order, and said in his many years of council work he had never heard such language. He regretted that such a state of affairs occurred. The Mayor said that Committee business should never be allowed to go out to the public before it came before the Council. He favoured letting the public know everything, but where employees were likely to suffer from a public discussion it was quite wrong.

When the Town Clerk rose to reply to Cr. Bussell’s charges against the staff, the latter said he wo.uld withdraw the statement if he had done .them any injustice. He still held, however, that none of the Councillors at tho meeting had said anything of the discussion outside. Cr. Jordan: I don’t believe it of the girl, and I still hold that the information came from elsewhere. Cr. Evans then intimated, that in future he would not sit on any of the ipnmittees, and would ask for all his information across the floor of the council.

The Mayor: I won’t have this place made a bear garden, don’t you think it. The incident closed with a parting shot from Councillor Evans, who remarked that he had no time for hole-and-corner methods.