BOROUGH AFFAIRS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 76, Issue 7, 26 May 1944, Page 4

BOROUGH AFFAIRS

themselves had they replied to the criticisms in the press. But I must return to give some light upon the Mayor's statement regarding my talk with the Town Clerk. I have omitted a small portion of it as I do not remember it word for word. The following is very very near to verbatim. Mr 1>: I wonder if you could give me some information on the' electricity account? I don't mean my account, I mean the council's. Town CierK: What is your name? Mr T): Ditchfield. T.C.: Oh yes. What do you require the information for? Mr D: I object to* the rise in electricity rates and intend to voice my opinions through the. press. T.G.: You don't expect me to give you information if you are going to use it against us? Mr D: That is not the point. Have I the right as a consumer, to receive information? T.G.: Well I suppose I can talk to you as a consumer. We have put aside £2000 this year for postwar purposes and will probably put away another £2000 next year. Mr D: Yes, I suppose you will need extra money after the war for extensions etc. What j)rofit have you made? T.C. (very emphatically): We do not make a profit, it is not run for profit. If you had a private company in the. town you would pay a lot more for electricity than you are paying now. Mr D: But isn't it one of the highest rates in the country now? T.C,: Have you any faith in the Price Tribunal? Mr D: Yes. T.C. (very demonstratively): W T ell! It's them to blame. It's the Government, its Kissel, and stabilisation. However, you can write in if you please. Mr D: ,Oh there i.s no animosity. Criticism is good you know. It does not follow of course that one is right. Cheerio. Now then, would anyone, reading the above conversation say, as the Mayor said at the May meeting— "Any ratepayer was free to get all the information he required." Perhaps. the. Mayor and the Town Clerk differ on this point. I venture to say that had some town celebrity approached the Town Clerk on ( the same, question they probably would have found him very deferent. I wonder what attitude Mr W. Sullivan would have taken up had some Minister of the Grown been so reluctant to offer information on his (Mr Sullivan's) request. Yours etc., J. DITCHFIELD.

Sir,—l was pleased to note, that considerable discussion arose from my enquiring letter to the Town Clerk. It would appear that my re-> quest for information was a major matter, to have taken, up so much of the council's time. As B am now labelled 'a critic* which I am, it is necessary to give my thoughts on the point. I am a lover of discussion. 1 believe discussion to be the. mother of knowledge. I believe in full freedom of thought and expression on any subfject. I consider that there is nothing that does not warrant enquiry. These above expressions lead us to a logical and stimulated mind which is even necessary for physical well being, and mental freedom. I believe in reason, not superstition. To have an enquiring mind means that you do not necessarily accept things simply because they are written, or said, by someone, in au-' thority. I agree of course that one's power of enquiry is limited to one's knowledge. This is where; l a certain amount of influence comes into it.' The council at their last, meeting replied to me—a critic. Now a critic can only criticise on the l amount of material made available, and ,the council must admit that the amount of material they have made available to the public is both> inade-? quate and confusing, and they have only themselves to blame if they are subjected to ridicule. Ii thank Mr Canning for at. least giving me. credit for being interested in local affairs, but the iriade-* quaey of information is certainly no encouragement. We have l the Mayor first of all saying thai the council was in a sound financial position. Then he apparently remembers him-> self and has another look, only to find that they have overspent to the extent of £1100. This can mean many things but one is left to infer that it is a cover up to guard the council against adverse criticism. He then follows up at the last meet* ing with the statement that one ac* count is showing a £200 debit. Can't we have a full financial statement, distasteful or otherwise. The council could I suppose have cleared (Continued in previous column}