OUR TRAMWAYS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1495, 18 July 1912, Page 4

OUR TRAMWAYS.

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. A special meeting of the Wellington City Council was held lust night to consider the position of the city tramways. There were present: The -Mayor (Mr. I). M'Laron), Councillors J. Smith, ]•'. Cohen, G. 1* rost, J. Godber, \Y. 11. P. Harbor, J!. Cameron ,A. 11. J. K. Fitzgerald, Jj. M'h'enzie, A. li. Atkinson, G. Shirtcliffe, J. Fuller, H. Fletcher, and Trevor.

Tho Mayor suggested i.lint the council should go into committee for some lime, as there were, no doubt, questions which councillors wished to put to the nfiicers; the position was that the council had no recommendation from the Tramway Committee, and had not yet had an'opportunity of considering the report of tho .iramway Board. Later in the evening tho business could be conducted i!i open meeting. Ho moved that the council should go into doimmttee. Councillor Shirtcliffe seconded tho motion. Councillor Barber said that ho hoped that tho motion would not be carried, tho matter had been published, there had been deputations to tho council, and letters in tho press 011 the subject. Councillor Fuller, said that lie sincerely hoped that tlifc council would not seek the vea-v unhealthy proposal to go into committee 011 a. question which concerned the whole of the public. What was there to hide? A councillor (jocularly): Freedom of speech. r '-onneillor I<uller: Freedom of speech! Let the public gee what you ore doing. He clear, bold, and resolute. Why, it is foreign to the nature of every man hero to discuss this behind closed doors! „ ,vas carried by ten votes to lour. Ihe ayes were: Councillor Atkinson, Cohen, iitzgerald, Flctehcr, Fro.-d, 7m' ICln! ' ma rsh, Shirtcliffe, Smith, and irevor. The noes were: Councillors Barter, Cameron, Fuller, and M'Kenzie. Before the motion was carried, Councillor Godber said that he»would like to know -why lie should receive the papers eonccrning this meeting marked "confidential, and next morning find the matter published in the "New Zealand limes.' On another occasion the Mayor }',?« explained why he had given tho limes a certain report. u T i IC i *M a - Y ? r assured Councillor Godber that he had not given the information to the press, a.nd said that lie had the assurance of the officers that it was not given' 011 ' 'he tramway department. Ihe council remained in committee until its rising at a very late hour.