PROCEDURE AT MEETINGS

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5264, 18 April 1928, Page 1

PROCEDURE AT MEETINGS

A QUESTION OF PUBLICITY. hospit'al board discussion. The practice of newspaper reporters attending meetings and obtaining .a copy of the inward correspondence prior to the time fixed for the meeting was raised by Mr A. R. Robinson at the Thames Hospital Board meeting on Wednesday. afternoon. In, view of the fact that a certain letter at the March meeting of the board had appeared in print in two evening daily papers, and was in circulation almost before the contents had; been disc cussed, he eonsidtered that reporters should not have access to the correspondence until the 'chairman at least had perused it.

The chairman (Mr W. El. Hale) said he regretted to say tha,t the lettejr liad been copied and published', and; no one was mare surprised than 'he was when he read the paper.

It was pointed out by Mr E>. L. Walton that it was the usual custom for local bodies to allow press reporters to have access’ to the correspoinldence prior- to a meeting, but 'he agreed that it was inadvisable for anything to be published prior to discussion by the members. No matter how competent a reporter might be, it was almost impossible, for him to accurately record the proceedings of any meeting unletss he had obtained a copy of the inward correspondence beforehand. He would not like to see the Press penalised in any way.

Mr C. W. Kenneidy said! that the reporters with whom he had been associated were, in his opinion, good fellows, and did not often! fall from grace. He realised the value of efficient reporters, and rather tha,n hamper them he thought ewerything should' be done by local bodies to facilitate thair work.

The chairman said that so far as the board was concerned, it wished it to be understood that in future nothing was'to be published until it hah been dealt with by the meeting. He also desired l to go through all the correspondence before it was handed to tlie Press.