PRESS REPRESENTATIVE AND COUNCIL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 954, 14 February 1911, Page 3

PRESS REPRESENTATIVE AND COUNCIL.

At last night’s Council meeting Cr Ross said he wished tc refer to an at rack on one of the Councillors made iu a leading article which appeared in the Manawatp llkrald after the last council meeting. It was quite uncalled for and being purely a personal matter was just pure spite. At the previous meeting the Councillor in question had thought it desirable that the reporter should not lie present duriug a certain discussion and had asked him in a gentlemanly manner to retire. [Cr Spelts’ motion was ; That the press representative be removed.-KdH.] The attack made on the Councillor iu the paper the following day was quite uncalled for.

Cr Robinson said that when a Council went into committee on any matter it was done in order that whatever was discussed should not become public property. In such cases no Councillor should divulge what had taken place in committee. The reason why the reporter was removed from the previous meeting was, he understood, that he would not be able to divulge anything that took place. Alter the last meeting of the council Cr Speirs went outside and told a person all that happened in committee. It a Councillor was going to do this what, he asked, was the use of going into committee at all.

Cr Speiis said it was an absolute lie from end to end and denied it absolutely.

Cr Rimmer asked where Cr Robinson got this information.

Cr Robinson : “From Mr McKnight.’’

Cr Speirs said he had no objection to the reporter remaining in the room whilst the council was in committee except on special occasions when anything very important was to be discussed. The matter brought up at the previous meeting was of a most important nature on which legal advice was required. Had it not been such an important matter he would not have thought of asking the reporter to retire. Cr Adams said the reason for going into committee was undoubtedly in order that the discussion might be generally knowu, and in order to put same iu proper order before submitting it to the ratepayers. He did uot think it was a personal matter at all. Cr Kimmer said it was a very unusual thing to ask a reporter to retire. If a reporter could not be trusted he was uot lit to be there at all. As a matter of courtesy he should be invited to remain. Cr Ross said he did not think for one moment that the reporter would carry anything outside. What he did uot like was the attack made on the Councillor. He considered a mountain had been made out of a mole hill and there was nothing to warrant it.

Cr Rimmer wanted to know if the editor ot the paper could prove the statements made.

Cr Robiuson said he could quite understand the paper giving Cr Speirs “the rub” it did. The reporter was ordered out of the room so that he wouid be unable to divulge what look place and then Cr Speirs out aud told Mr McKnight all about the discussion aud who voted lor aud against certain motions in committee. Mr McKnight had himself told him (Cr Robinson ) what Cr Speiis had said aud he understood he had also told the editor ot the paper the same thing. The Mayor said it was not a right thiug lor anyone to divulge what took place in committee. He was not referring to any particular Councillor. He did not think any good purpose would be served by going into the present matter any further.

The matter was then allowed to drop.