The Sandon Tramway.

Manawatu Times, Volume VIII, Issue 359, 8 September 1883, Page 2

The Sandon Tramway.

STARTLING REVELATIONS.

Last night's Manawutu Herald is almost entirely taken ap with ft report of the Manar.-atu County Council's proceedings on Thursday. At the meeting sevtral lengthy letters were read from the Chairman (Mr Thynne) to his predecessor (Dr Rockt&rq.w), m wjbiph the latter asked definite replies as to what concessions Government had made regarding haulage of . j .ijlway. maters lal, what orders. were sea/ to De Veaux aria Co. re bvrfi^wnm poi?tts were ordered," .whatvhad become" of the correspondence relating, to tramway affairs, what.'; /half 'bjeen done with £40 petty , cash /unaccounted for, what, verbal arroligeWnts had been made, with Q'Jtfaftefas supplementary to written (•qntracts, why he had not paid £i2"fr-ei«ht out of petty/qasli in^HaiiU- ! ai pnf raised, and ; a . number of ' pttier;' fija&s con. nected with the; '. tr&nWay scheme. In his retfy, Cr declines to give the infbrmatiaa\gked antil "the financial quoted 5 * between himself and the Council is settled either way,"- thesaid financial qu4» tion being whether he u %*Bould o-et $75 orfromnoitKd Tramway Fnnd. The followlngrepopt from f the He* ..raid fully explaiiiHtselfj-S&id we recommend ifcTo -'€ne l -c^etut^onsidel«» &tion of our readers :—•: • A DJ&ORDErtLY SCENE. Cr Rockstrow here entered the Chamber, when. :T .-j,. .-.; , ; |. The Chairman again read the letter from Messrs De y,eaux and Co concerning fishplates, .anH^asked Cr Koekstrow if he could explain the matter. .-, ,: " ';■:. " : ' x -} Cr Rockstrow replied he had nothing -to explain further than what he had written to. the' Chairman. The Chairman th'en again read the letters he had written to the late Chairman. ■ .'"-r/r V Cr Rbekstrow saidthe Chairman's letters were most confused, and contaiaed.bad logic andßadconclasions. He could not place .m correspondence all the- ideas whicthad passedin his head during^lieaß months m which he^ad>-b%tt 'forking at the scbiflfiSr ifrJbe^had bad only one '- string to his, -bow. /regarding that scheme. he would not have been fit for chairman: He had several-ideas on the subjec^ incase of 4 defeat of fathers; When ,t|i;e contract was signed, neitherspikea i or fishplate! ready, and the time was fixed £? r *%? Contractor to ceninWce con* tingent on their being'ready. Mem* bers of, the did Committee wr^uld bear him out m saying they liad been^prepared, -hftdjh^gpll of \ the ratepayers been adyerse,.to proceed under Clause 18, and' construct the tramway against all comers. It was only a question f of ways and means, and ;i|pwthe Chairmanwanted him to give. his (Cr Rbckstrpys) ideas on the subject" to i him^- 13^ The phairmiin-^He, never asked anything, of , the so^.'V ;;",?■ Cr Bockstrqw-^-Hqwcan I put my brains into your skull ? (Laughter.) Tbe-quesHon is one of I ways and means,' and is for : the Chairman to find : out;^efer^g^^nhe letter, he w-ould state that the correspond* ence was -mainly carried on hy~ag>ans °^i e^rams,_ often sent >hSL| was. at b^ie> places,^ of which^t" woirlol havW tieed afttfoW impossible to.^eep copies ; bnt all tb& main corsespondence was at the office. In all casesthe actions he had taken as chairman bad been afterwards endorsed by _th.c pommittee. An» other thing was why should he have to write to the<;chairjHanr a whole .host pi things,^hp cotiH answer at once m. half a minute. He saw the Qhairmen: four or five times daily, but: shad never been ; asked questions about -these ■ matters. Si Regarding the matter of no time; being fixed for the commencement the contract, the drawing up of the paper jad been done entirely "by the J)is* trict Engineer, and it was to be 'cbmpleted in'nine months, the contractor to start when the fishplates "Were ready. '* i/rhe-Ghairniari,' A Mi&hing— -Bat when ? • ? f Crßocksf row— -You laugh, but it's your sneering lav ? h t .that prevents people from giving you iotsofas> sistance they would otherwise give you! He'had>started,T6he schema, .and would like.to see, it finished. It wasimpossiblefor him to go against the tramwayv ' .The Chairman, denied he had , tried/to thwa'rt*, Cr lioeltstrow m any sense. When that Cr Tiked, he could reply to questions and gTveno infbr-« rnatibn, arid" these' anVwe'i-s he had just been giving. -As Chairman, he had a; d aty- to require from* Cr Rock* ,strow~ distinct answers to distiupj statements. The' term's of the cj^ tract allowed the con|;r ; aclor njne months from July; hoy then could he finish by January Ist, nnless the Jafce chairman had made other/ arrangements not within 'the k no^. ledge of the Coqnci l , Tf'auph arrangenients had beeii .made by Or Ropk&trow while Chairman of the Council-^ . "■•> : ■ .r 4 \wp '■ Cr Rbckstro^ siaid ; th,e Chairman was ignorant,, pf. fapts.. FJe vyaq Chairman; of the Tramway Com.mitcee long before he was appointed Chairman of ; the 'Gou'ncil. ' The Chairmau said Cr Rockstrow could notbave. two distinct exiatences. He had demanded a salary for doing ceriainwo^l and any information hepossessed las chairman »f the Committee properly belonged bo the. Council, as<.the':Council was mswerable for the actions of the Committee. Cr Rockstrow had promised to him to piy'out of petty jash he still held a stefor freieht but had not done sdTftr-ther, he had Momised to, lpdgein, the Bank ' a mm equaltp,the amQUßfeof the petty sashheheldrib^ithisjiad not been lone. He therefore thought these acts ehowoi the necessity

Communications on business matters being written. He had been careful I not to write intemperately, and had J no wish to hurt Cr Bockstrow's feelings. Cr Rockstrow, ! aside — Ob, ypu - (- can't hurt my feelings ! That's lin - possible. ' The Chairman said" that there were two or three distinct questions and it would have been better bad Cr Rockstrow replied to them. Cr Rockstrow said the whole , question could havo been settled m five minutes, xhe resolution iv regard to the houorariuin voted by the Committee to him > had been abstracted from tlie minute-book by two Councillors. [Cr M'Lerinan— Name them.] He wanted the matter settled either way. If the amount fairly coming to him were, not paid then he should be compelled t»>. deduct certain expenses | Me h^id incurred from the petty cash be now held, and he had informed the Treasurer he would hold overjgiving vouchers for the same until this question had been settled. _ The sum of £75 had beenpaased'"oii l the payn Lfiheet.at last meeting for him with- : out, restriction, but (producing the minuti.book) he found words had been added that day to that minute— "subject to further enquir^.'f The ', Chairman had rip right whatever, to make any to that minute, ; and yet'after holding by er,his money ' [,'he.. wanted him.' to give^him (the chairman) all his — all his peity cash — -was it just or right ? If the proposal to pay him*tb!e amount owing. him was negatived, he would still work for the tramway* The Chairman maintained; he had eyery right to make, the adoption referred to, as it was .perfectly under atoodatthe time that legal en», quiries were to be made before thej; ; amount was p paid. Regarding thet ; . .petty cash, he was informed <by twov .■• Councillors that the items of £15 and £2s had been granted: to the Chairman as petty cash for specific purposes. ■'■;•"' ■•■"■■;• ; Cr Rockstrow — Name them.;; ,ifj The Chairman— Crs M'LennnaSi and Sarison are my informants. Crßockstrew — Just so. \ *affjy The Chairman— Cr ! /RoclcstroW «aid he would sooner pay one sum/ fciniself rather t\ an put :i thje . rfcaan's* name on the voucher list; ! 7 * : Cr Rockstrow— You state f aWe^ ' - 'hoods.'. '.■■'..'■ . ..;■■ \ The , : , ,was nr!;^me mysterious being, for preparing : plans. He, should say let the amount be paid m the 'ordinary^; ■. course,> - •■'. ■-■ ..->■.-.■•.■■, ; .;„,..%, .^ Ct M'Lennan said Or, , Rbckstrow wished to make out that the £100 a' year was forced on him.. 1 . ! Cr Rockstrow .-r: . Not j forced,: offered. .... ...~ ,- * "CrTME'liennan— Well, offered; Ant lie /thought said'^forced. Hisv opinion was the reverse Of this.. At '" a certain time Cr Rockstrb'w l h'a'd ■■' toldhim-r- ::-^'r.^ \ ""* l4i « oi : Or Rockstrow Tose to a) point of' .., order. He objected to private con~ vTersationtTbeing brought into the ; m&iter. . ;•; s*& W .:■.*. ; Or M'Lenrian — Then I will deal with what has m this '■'•■ Council ropm on,6ne oceasiojn -Cr = Rpckstrpw ha 4 taken Cr Sanson to ta private rbom, whenjns resignation s yraa talked of, and saiprif they voted E^bim a salary, Ke- would, continue "a*' J.(PhairiDari.- ■■ x r.',.;- : ' iS • 5 " Prfibckstrow— I challenge €r Sanson. : Cr J&'Lennah ' said,:' Cr Roc^trp^r »lW*ys said be had not been paid" as X much as the others, but independent ot, the salary he claimed, he found .li£jh£<i' :^ received Ll9 as expenses. Hb said' nutf., tiro CoubfilJors bad abstracted^'piece from the minutejbookiibut asajnatfo*,; of fact he (Cr Boekstrow) bad got h'oid" of 'tbe miaute book himself on; a frivolous. excuse, and then refused to return, it. , ( ." ' Here a"• moit unparalleled n V scene, i occurred between the .two Councillors- ' Cr Rbckstrow, holding up tibefo minute, book, addressing Cr 4'LenWn / j»ajid -# : | You: look me m the faw and,. say you don't Jtndw wh o removed ibis ?' Or ; 'M'Lennan' replied -h"e could j : when n (jEsaid the former wou^d sjy, anything, and might will turn;>,wbite,' ■■-/- and still holding »he book within a { ipot; * ot Ct MUlennaiOi &&, >(thfe were., standing opposite each other at tbe table), and rapping tire table] vigotousiy, , repeated his charge, and j said otbpr •: Councillors -baa had to Icavfci formless,; and be cou ! d bring a case: of; fVlony. 1 «gain9t him if^he chose. j .:-. ■■..j.-nu^ X!r fTadfield tbea^jctse (the lothere atauding) and said "%e dinught.-: tlie Council should go info Uoii-mittee.at .once, biit the Cbairmau said.; he thought they should not, but rathee hiiye^pme, light on these matters. {,^'<>x Li's.--'-Cr M'Lennm srlso objected t.o. going ipto Pommittee, saying thjby baU had enough of Committee work, f and ithe/ pnb'ic should know what Man eoiug on. Pontinuing, he asked the Chairman to read an extract , w hich was parsed by the. Tramway Coromi' tee ! x * ' Extract read, stating the Chairman yras to keep copies of \\m cohxspondtnce >pd telegrams, and also keepa stafement 1 of moneys expended- ! I r - ' - That would show I matters; <and- why flid rtbt Cr Kockstrowf ct up to that and f^cplain all. •. r rrY /•' ":'..■ \Jt iiuckstrow said he would cJ,oßg,J;his chapter. Cr M'Lennan had not a- clear, cpnscience oyeT tbe matter, and the withdrawing, of that minute rested 'with 1 tim and Cr'Giay. It Was ai.-fe,lpj»y> end npthing else, and. wny was it com> niitted ? Became if it Is!4pti<w Jtheyj "knew they would -beJiableifor it ot|t 5 pf^ : their own Jwcketß.*f—- • ' ' / •. Cr M'Lennah-r-That's your version, " 1 say you took" ifeou^! ; (jr JHocksTro^; — 1 make a charge ihat you »nd Cr,- Gray took tlie* reiolutions out "pi the %Qob h,^ m „.,-, « Cr M'Leniian — And I makea diafinct charge that Cr HixikStvow. hlii&eif'tbofe it OUtt *"*■' '■" ''"''-' ' if: ■ ■■■'•'* 5 <„} f^*:A-y<h The- Chaiiman here' interposed- and' aftked the Councillors to co^dußtMhem*' fetveg m a little mwe orderly jnan'nef,; and; one, of tbe mOst startling scenes tver occurring m the of t^be . was. brought to a closed I»i addition l^ the gwticuralf6^Tr.T a^h Councillor, "both Were .perfectly* convulsed wit^ passion, nd a petFipiifal encounter atone Vtime.:aijpeared h'ghij? prdbabie..;. f5( ; ,; a * CnSaßsonex^lwncd s^ejgl makers ia connection with the tramway Com-jnitteeand-the Cbairjman, saying, that Relate Cbsiijnaa had repentedJjj^id

* v<^*»»l»«rl■ I '^t l V".^■«»KS^■w?!l!^^-x-■!r.'««Sf^...M»^-rf^(^J^f A the work took up more time than he could give, ..and- had proposed himself for the office. The committee had agreed to recommend that at the next flection ot Chairman Cr Rrcksfcrow blionld be a ■ extra £100 for the •services be bad rendered . He f«.lt sorry such bickering had amen over the, question,. and he hoped tb**y" would now spend their enorgus m doing all they could lo push on tbe work. ' Gr'M'Kenzie- thought tbe Chairman had acted rightly m tbe step he had takp n ; . He was^ quite .right m demanding a'uy information j the late Cbairrhan may have had. IfCr Koi-kstrow wished -tb&^scheine sOiWel!, why did be allow- a difference between himself md others to make him bold back important informa* 'Mi>h? His excWei regarding" the petty cash would not bold water for a day, and if the clerk bad acted m the- same mana ncr, he would ebon fiad himself m a very different position. He could not help endorsing the action of tbe Chairman m tbe matte t of tbe correspondence.