The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, JULY 25, 1882. DO ALL THINGS DECENTLY AND IN ORDER.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 629, 25 July 1882, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, JULY 25, 1882. DO ALL THINGS DECENTLY AND IN ORDER.

* There is more in the conduct of business than many imagine, and very often a man with few ideas of his own may be very us'lul as a chairman, by compelling those over whom he exercises temporary control to do all things

"decently and iv order." It is the J misfortune not only of the Peninsula, bat of olher pails of New Zealand to have few miilen's of standing who are well fitfed for public life ; and yet from the nn-n'vr of our loc:il bo-lips, there is no cooViy in the world whe'o a g'-eafer Ivnowlmhe of procedure in thf?e malleus is rpqnired. The reison of the soarciW of men acoopinted with t!io«e fotois, which, as it were, make disciplined and eGVcLive Iroops out of raw recruits, is sufficiently obvious. The r e is n very proper inclination to elect the oldest settlers to fill these offices, and many of them hare not had the oppo-'i unity in early life of serving that apprenticeship in these things, which is really necessary in this as in any other business. Their youth and ravlier manhood were spent, ia most ins til noes, in combats wiih nature, in re.ducin.cy wild, profitless, bush covered comity, into rich paddocks, and the consequence is, they became self-reliant shrewd mea, with a natural tendency rather to depend on their own wisdom and opinion than the wisdom and opinion of rommun.il.ies. Those who live iv l;v'gi> communities, and mingling with thousands daily, find numberless equals and superiors, may be compared to the wave-'vorn soiugle on the beach, who3e rough e<J£p3 have all been smoothed away by continual contact ; while the men who h;»ve fought the hard figbt alone, and won, may be compared with the lagged and unequal rocks that frown on the summit of our hills. Thes • jagged rocks with their numberless depressions and projections do not fit veil together when brought; into contact with others of similar kind, and this f.vct is noticeable in many of our public bodies. The Borough Council business is not conducted in a satisfactory manner. It is more like a family party than anything else, where discussion is so free (often with no resolution at all before the meeting) that familiarity breeds contempt, and unseemly remarks are made, which bring it for the moment to as lo.v a level as the Metropolitan Council when Mr Cass occupied the post of geographer to that body, or the Cromwell Borough Council* when Captain Jackson Barry was Mayor. Now, all the trouble in our ose comes from a disregard of forms. Thera are certain Committees appointed to do certain work, but owing, wot so much to negligence as to the extraordinary system pursued, these Committees are notoriously ineffective. In most Town Councils the Committees occupy a very important position. They consider the subjects for which they are appointed,-and come to n definite conclusion on the matter, which, conclusion they lav before the Cuuncilf backing the op nion of the majority othe Committee by at once moving themselves the adoption of the line ot conduct they recommend. The moving and seconding-the adoption of a report gives an opportunity to the members of the Committee, of clearly explaining the reasons for the recommendations contained ia the report, and the Council being by this means acquainted with the matter, can discuss it intelligently arid in proper order. So much are these Committees depended on in many cases, that they consider it tantamount to a wish on the part of the other members that they should resign, if their opinions are not followed. Now, we 9.0 quite a different way to work. Very often a meeting passes without any written report being presented at all, and at other times, perhaps, His Worship will real to the Council a report addressed to a Committee, which that Committee have never seen at all, for the simple reason that it has only been received a few minutes before the meeting. Could anything be much worse, or tend more to hasty and irregular legislation, than this? It shows contempt for the Committee, because it is not thought necessary to nek their opinion before placing it before the Council, and it deprives that Committee of being of any use at all. The remedy is obvious. There should be a stated time, up to which all communications to be considered by Committees should be received, say, the Monday evening before the Council's sitting. The Committees could then meet on the Tuesday and consider theS'j communications, so that proper reports might be laid on the Council t ible at the proper time. There should certainly be a written report of the Works ' Committee at every meeting ot the Council ; in fact, we suppose there are few, if any, boroughs in New Zealand where this i* not looked upon as a matter of course. There is always something to say, either about performed work, works in progress, or some othfci little matter, and it should always be said in this way, with the consent of the whole Committee, decently and in order. These Works Committee reports should also contain recommendations to the Council regarding the requests ot the burgesses, if H. B. wants to erect a verandah, or iJ. 8. to fence in a street, the requests should be sent to the (Jhiirman of the Works Committee, to be considered by them, and granted or rejected by the Council at their next meeting as recommended in their report, instead of being brought lor the first time before the full Council. One great reason for doing this sort of work in committee is, that there can be free discussion on the subject there. Every member can then give his opinion a dozen times if he likes, and no luies are violated, and in the great majority of cases a just decision i.s arrived at. But when a matter is brought before a full Council, about which no member has formed an opinion previously, chaos as a rule succeeds.

B>vw-<; on an equality of ignorance regarding the question before the meeting, and as servants of the ratepayers, desirous of knowing- as much as they can, all rules are disregarded, and every one speaks as many times as lie likes, the Council's time is wasted, and vevy o'ten a hasty decision arrived at. Nothing in a crude state should come before a Council. Correspondence should not be received after a cer.ain hour on the day of meeting, and should be all opened by the clerk, and any notes on it requited by the Council made and laid before His Worship with the letters when he takes ' the chair. If a fresh matter c;cps up in the correspondence, let it be referred to the particular co umittee in whose province it is, ani if applicable to no existing committee,let a fresh one be at on<e formed to consider it, and bring up a definite report at the next meeting ; or if there is any great hurry on the matter, at a special meeting. The re-.ulal.ions of all municipal bodies pvevide that notices of motion should be given on <my new subject, so that it should be thought over before being discussed, and the same tule should apply right through. , Even when we have a report het'e, we j treat it in a brutil manner. Instead of its being brought forw.Kd with pride by tlie committee who produced it, !as their cherished offspring, of which they are justly proud, it is usually thrown upon tho table and treated as a banking they are ashamed to acknowledge. If anybody outside the committee chooses to adopt it well and good, if not, let it go. Can any system be more absurd or tend more to the couI fusion of all business ? The chairman of j the committee, as we before said, should at once move its adoption and explain his reasons for proposing the course advocated; another of its original framers should second the resolution, and thea the regular discussion could ensue in proper order. If ever there - was a case of absurd, detrimental, and : ridiculous deliccy, it is that of a committee who are afraid to back their I opinion by moving the adoption of any ! report they may produce, the moment it is re"ad before the Council. Fancy the monstrous absurdity of leaving: this necessary preliminary to all debate to be done by men who have not given, or at any rate are supposed not to have given, any special attention to the matter. That every member of our Boruu.h Council is earnestly desirous of doing all the good he can for his fellow citizens we earnestly believe ; and also that they possess sufficient ability to make it a model Council. All that is required is, that the dirty linen should not be washed in public, or in other words, that the committee work should be done outside the Council. If ihis course were adhered to, our kindly, capable, aud disinterested Mayor, and those who sit in authority und r him, would be able to conduct the business with a great deal more comfort to themselves and more advantage to the public.