SERENITY DISTURBED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 111, 12 May 1936, Page 6

SERENITY DISTURBED

WAITOTARA COUNI Y MEETING ALLEGATIONS AGAINST WORKMEN The .-ereniiy of t'lie AVaiic’uia County Council’s monthly meeting vesterdav was disturbed when Cr. A. A Wir.wood made statements concerning the cutting of firewood by ‘county workmen. He alleged that this wood was cut in the council’s time and di.-ag’.eed with a report furnished by the eng’neer (Mr T. Dix) who said that following Cr. AVinwood’s assertion at a previous meeting he had made enquiries from the foreman of the men concerned. Air Dix said that he h.id been informed that the men had . .. the wood i during their lunch hour. Thev bad j loaded it on to a motor-l .rv when it was making its lust trip fur the day. and would ha\ e otherwise returned e in.pt y Cr, That is nut soCr. L. T. Jones: Can you siib.-iaijiai • that remark Cr. Winwood’ You .-houLI not make these assertim,' unle.-s you have proof. Cr. R. Laird: U-.n’t Ur. -lones hold , his tongue and give Ur. Wiawood a show ? i Cr. AVinwcod: They treat as l though 1 had no right to ii ? tieie “Pretty Sure" j Cr. Winwood added that In- im t i.<d i actually seen the men cut-ing the wood. [but had passed by where tiie men were U working on the T xoinarii ri'ist Rond at ! 3 p.m. He had st-cn tools on the rmid. U 'but no men. A* ab ut 3.15 p.m that |i [day he had passed down the same mad |« again. One lorry was then .<>nde.l with • wood and another baekih?. down to [; load. “One ca*n only draw conclusions • and I am pretty s.ii- thee vie cutting , wood in the cuunV’il’s time." he a*- r serted. Cr. J. Gamer .n: • i . Win woo I iia- [i made a direct charge and it .s our duty y to investigate the matter and mak - ii [; perfectly clear what Im- been don* . I ' move that the chairman. • i.yinwr and | Cr. Winwood interview tiie men a: ! h obtain particulars from liiem. A : ■ cision should then be made a> to what ■ is to be done. AVc must <-o:ir the mat- ( ter up in a proper and 'ligai/w 1 inanni i. ■ I don’t want the dignity uf inis conn ci I lo wered. The chairman 'Mr : , We have never interfered w tL - i* o • It is the engineer'; duty io attend lo i these matters. If we sc? nny’h.ng wrong we usually go and see him. “Had No Brails“ I Cr. June.-, said that lie supp >”i.o ' •• Cameron’s motion and coiitendcd. i.iai Cr. Winwood’s prOj.'C 1 cour-e w u ; have been to speak to the engineer fore bringing the nialtei .ef >re t>u- ( coui.'.-i!. This was the ac’.i »•> Jmt conn idllors ha<l usually i tic pa.-’. If Cr. AVinwood had not b < n ■-i.iisliel , with the explanation 1.0 . mid nave [ then brought the matter Be-ore the ■ meeting. He had been told '. v 'Ain- j wood, when approached on th? Miojc'-t that he (Cr. Jones) kaJ no Itou It was an insulting attitude ’’•. ■ nnvmie to tpJce. Tie cons'de red thai ‘ AVinwood was pinpricl’Gng. Cr. AVinwood: I do”. \ caie •-. mt you think. Cr. T. Alexander, who aisc srpporte'l Cr. Cameron’s motion, said that nt one time he had felt honoured to belong tn the council. “But I'm bothered it I do now,” he declared. “It is one wrangle after anothc from this end of the table at alm ’-t every meeting. At the last meeting Cr. AVinwo.o took the engineer to task in rcspec' (r < the letting of tenders. Every < r.mplaint he [ makes is without foundation. “All Against Him" Cr. Winwood said tha‘ while they i were all against him he did not see that i it was any use his going with the chair- ■ man and the engineer to sec the men. Cr. Jones; AVc arc nut against your ' information, but against vour methods. , The motion was carried. Air D'.x subsequently submitted a re--1 port on the statement made bv Cr. AVin- ■ wood at a previous meeting that he i (Cr. AVinwood) had made profit at the rate of £IS a day while tarrying out i Contract No. 626 (metalling AVaireka ' Road). After submitting figures lelaiive to - the contract, Mr Dix said that the aver- ’ age daily net profit was £5 9s sd, not , £lB as stated. i Cr. AVinwood assorted that he had ■ deferred to the profits for one day alone. The discussion nn this maMer lapsed.