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New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4611, 31 December 1875, Page 2

The City Auditors have come down rather sharply upon the City Council for the slovenly manner in which the books are kept and the general inaccuracy of the accounts, and from present appearances it seems very like as if the quarrel will be a pretty one. Of the merits of the question we may say nothing till it has further developed itself ; but what we desire to call attention to is an impertinent attempt made by the Town Clerk, supported by the Mayor, to withhold from the public all information. The report which appears in another column was read at the meeting, and to all intents and purposes became public property, hut at the close of the meeting, when applied to by the representative of the New Zealand Times, Mr. Hester absolutely declined to allow any person to see it, saying it. was not likely he would give it to the papers. In course of time it would be published with the accounts, but until then he should not part with possession. The Mayor was then applied to, and he professed the utmost indifference, the Town Clerk might do as he pleased, and as it did not please the Town Clerk to have an inconvenient document published, he packed up his books and left the Chamber. However, he has not prevented its publication. Mr. Hester must learn that he cannot, by the exercise of a little arbitrary authority, which no Mayor with a spark of dignity would allow him to possess, stifle unpalatable facts or gag the Press. While reporters may accept copies of documents from the Town Clerk as a personal favor, he must not for a moment suppose that they could not get the information otherwise, much less that he is in a position to dictate as to what shall, or shall not be published. We claim to be the judges on that point. Every document read at Council meetings, if it affects, the interests of the ratepayers,, shall be published without regard to the private feelings or personal interests of the Council or its servants. It is to be regretted that Mr. Hutchison should have, at .the outset, shown himself incapable of asserting his position in the Corporation, and we call upon the Council to express its approval or disapproval of the course pursued yesterday. If it approves of the efforts of its employes to get “ cooked ” reports published, let it' say so ; but neither a hot-headed, misguided .Clerk, nor a pusilanimous Mayor shall prevent the citizens knowing everything that goes on in the City Council chamber.

By means of several “ imaginary correspondents” at the Hutt, an effort is being made to excite prejudice against a schoolmaster out there, a Mr. Sinclair. It seems that this gentleman is an abolitionist, and advocates his cause with some degree of spirit, not, perhaps, in as effective a manner as more quiescent souls use, but at all events without the vulgarity and personality which certain advocates of whatever pays them best adopt. Mr. Sinclair was a staunch supporter of Mr. Hutchison at the recent election, and by means of pla cards and other appeals endeavored to make converts to his cause.- We may differ from his judgment as to the best candidate; we certainly cannot deny him the right as an elector to act as he did. But others are not like ns. With them, what is right and proper and decent at election times is permission for them to abuse everyone to the top of their bents, and refusal to anyone to say or write a word against them. Accordingly Mr. Sinclair is told that, as a servant of the Provincial Government, his proceedings were fearfully reprehensible, and that he deserves dismissal. Mr. Sinclair need not annoy himself about this. He is no servant of the Provincial Government. He holds his office from the Board of Education, and we believe discharges it to the satisfaction of that body. And his office, be it remembered, differs largely from that of some who have been or are Provincial Government servants. It was obtained by him on his own merits ; he has to fulfil important duties efficiently in order to retain it. He was not appointed to it to muzzle his mouth or stop his pen ; he is not likely to leave it to serve as a literary Dngald Dalgetty for his patrons. Altogether he is simply schoolmaster at the Taita, and, doing his duty as such, has a perfect right to take what part he may choose in a Parliamentary election, so long as he does not behave outrageously, or bring himself within scope of the law by unseemly violence. A word in conclusion. If it were wrong for Mr. Sinclair to take an active part in the election, was it not equally wrong for Mr. Buckley (Provincial Solicitor), Mr. Eitzherbert (junior provincial something or another), and Mr. C. E. Haughton (a General Government officer) to do the same ? We do not blame these gentlemen, but wo would point out to Mr. Sinclair’s critics that, as Captain Macheath says, “ Since laws have been made for every degree, to curb vice in others as well as in me,” &c.

Another instance of the unwillingness of the City Council to divulge what it does, is to be found in that portion of the Public Works Committee report which deala with Colonel Eeader’a demand for compensation. We are

told the committee has ‘‘made arrangements,” but what the arrangements are, people are left to guess. When the report was read at the Council table yesterday, one councillor “wanted to know, you know,” but he was 'quieted by a profound “hush,”'and then told in a whisper. What can be the object of keeping the matter secret ? Every one knows that owing to the negligence of the Council, Colonel Header sustained injury to his log, and that instead of paying a few shillings in some trifling repairs to a street, the Council has paid the Colonel something like £SO by way of compensation.