Councillors on the Spree.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1803, 5 March 1886, Page 2

Councillors on the Spree.

Some nine Wellington City Councillors lately went out ou a trip to inspect the Wainui-o-mata water works. It is a thirty mile drive, and there is a lot of scrambling up hills on foot besides. The Mayor, The Town Clerk and tho Engineer were also of the party, and there were two drivers of the vehicles. The party took their own " prog,” but they also got 30s worth of liquids—whisky, ale, ginger beer and soda water. The bill of 30s was charged to the funds of the corporation, and the economical .Councillor Pethenok, who wasn’t with the party, tabled a motion to the effect that the expenditure was illegal. Tho other Councillors were indignant and an acrimonious debate ensued. It seems that nearly nli the Councillors had drunk ginger beer and soda water—scarcely anyone had touched the Base ale—while one Councillor declared that the driver had polished off all the whiskey. Another Councillor however explained that three fourths of the whisky was brought back to town, so that the cab driver after a'l must have been virtuous and abstemious. There was a jolly row over the matter, and eventually Councillor Petherick's motion was talked out for lack of a quorum. This Petheriok is a shabby fellow to have made trouble over a 30s drink for over a dozen people. Nevertheless, law is law, and the Councillors who swallowed liquid refreshments had no business to send in the bill to the Corporation. To do so was clearly against the Act of Parliament. The Councillors should have sent the hat round and paid lor their own liquor by “ stamping up " a half crown each.