A BREEZE IN THE COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2650, 4 November 1909, Page 2

A BREEZE IN THE COUNCIL.

THE SANITARY SYSTEM

MAYOR’S REMARKS RESENTED

There was a genteel discussion at the meeting of the* Borough. Council last evening arising out of flic recent dispute with certain employees in t-lwy sanitary department which was the subject of an inquiry and resolution passed at the previous meeting last month. The Mayor referred to the successful working of the new system, under which he said considerable saving had been effected. Cr. Collins: We have had a debate on the matter, and it is out of order to bring it up again. The Mayor: That is for me to say. Cr. Clayton: I don’t think so. lit is a matter for the majority. Continuing, the Mayor said that he very strongly deprecated the interference of Councilors in matters relating to subordinate employees. Cr. Collins: The matter was settled at last meeting by, Cr. Kirk. If you want to open the matter up again you had better rescind the motion we passed. You are passing strictures on Councillo.rs in the matter. The Mavor: They are needed. His Worship added that he was simply making a further explanation on the face of the inspector’s report. He asked the Councillors to make it a matter of principle in future not to interfere with any of the subordinate employees of the Council. They should have faith in the heads of the departments. Had the Council decided to re-instate the men who had been dismissed it would have caused considerable outlay, and an extra expenditure of £6' a week. The present staff were doing their work easily, and there was no back work to be pulled up at all. Cr. Collins: May I ask that the motion of last meeting be read. The Mayor: That has absolutely no bearing on it. Cr. Collins: I am going to move that it be rescinded. The Mayor said that Cr. Collins would have to give notice of motion, and ruled him out of order in speaking on the matter.

Cr. Collins, however, spoke on the report. It- was greativ to be deprecated, he said, that every time the Mayor left Gisborne he found it necessary on his return to re-open debates. Every time lie' had been away the meetings of the Council had been confined to two and a half hours.

The Mayor: Will you kindly keep to the report. . Cr. Collins: It is this reiteration that prolongs the meetings and causes friction in the Council. Continuing, Cr. Collins stated with regard to the suggestion that it was dangerous for members of the Council to interfere, that no members had interfered in the matter referred to. It had not even been proved whether the men struck or not. The Councillors had no right to sit down and hoar it said that they had interfered. .He would like to say, moreover, that the officials of the Council did not use that forbearance to the employees which the latter had the right to expect. The men were discharged instantly, before even the Mayor knew it. The fact of a strike occurring did not reflect credit on the officials or those having control of the men. Whether the men recently employed were better than these discharged did not affect the principle, in the least- degree. As a matter of fact, it had not been shown that a single penny had been saved. The service was not run with that efficiency that His Worship would like 1 the public to believe. The expression of opinion His Worship gave was given without hearing the evidence that had been given at last meeting. “If," -added the speaker to the Mayor, “you would prohibit one giving an expression of opinion with regard to any employee except with your -approval, the sooner the whole of our power is taken cut of our hands and vested in yourself the better. You cannot cite a single example of where any Councillor lias interfered with subordinates, but it is time to interfere when the heads of departments under your jurisdiction are unable to prevent strikes. It shows mismanagement, and it showed greater mismanagement when that strike was practically initiated by the foreman, and that man is still in the Council’s employment.” Cr. Collins concluded by saying that next time the Mayor passed any strictures on the Council he would leave him out.

Cr. . Clayton said he was quite sure the Council must feel properly chastened and abashed. However, there v r as probably a misunderstanding. What really occurred was the four men ■who had been dismissed waited on various Councillors, accompanied by the foreman, who was still in-the Council’s service. If the Mayor proposed to speak to tho;}Ctfn 11c ill or s in the way he .had done, the , speaker would adopt Similar tones,'" and Mr. Lysnar would have only himself to blame if the' dignity of the chair was lowered. Cr. Darton said that had the Mayor been at the last meeting he- would Jhav e agreed that the matter was one that needed inquiry. The Mayor explained that he was only' speaking generally about interference with employees, but it appeared that some of the members had made the cap fit themselves.