HOT AIR

NZ Truth, Issue 1143, 27 October 1927, Page 4

HOT AIR

Ways of Auckland City Council

The Auckland Qli> Council recently wasted approximately an hour and a half m futile debate on matters *hlch could haoebeen disposed of m half an hour at the outside.

"TO my mind, authority should be ■*• given for each committee to deal finally with all routine matters considered by it. . ."—The Auckland Town Clerk, J. S. Brigham. It was suggested and approved by the City Council that the Mayor and Town Clerk determine what business be referred to the council and what to the committee for finality. At the meeting, without one word of discussion, the council embarked upon a policy which, m the opinion of this paper, should have been given the most earnest and searching consideration, before councillors committed themselves to a step which has all the appearance of opening the back door of municipal administration for the transaction of the ratepayers business. There is already far too much of the ratepayers business transacted under the cloak of secrecy which discussion m standing committees enables, yet with a deplorable lack of realization of their responsibilities to those whom they represent councillors have casually countenanced a step which will, Jn future, give standing committees far greater license m this direction. Were the matter to end there it would indeed be bad enough to call for stringent criticism but when, with extraordinary complacence, the meeting agreed to place m the hands of the Mayor and Town Clerk, the arbitrary power of determining what business shall go before the full council and what before standing committees, then

Policy

it is time a very strong: protest was voiced. True, it was suggested that the object of this astounding delegation of municipal government powers was to ensure that all matters of policy would come before the council. Without m any way wishing to cast aspersions on either the intelligence or integrity of the two 'gentlemen who will henceforth constitute a municipal autocracy, "N.Z. Truth" has a vivid recollection of some queer things that have been put through m the star chamber secrecy of standing committees, and adopted without proper investigation by the full council. The question of what is or is not policy is very often a matter of individual opinion, yet with lamb like dociiity individual members of the council have delegated their privilege of deciding for themselves by saying to Mayor Baildon and the Town Clerk: i "Oh, you do it, George!" or, "Leave it to Brigham ! " . As far as the. Town Clerk's recommendation is concerned that all committees deal finally with routine matters "N.Z. Truth" would have no quarrel provided the ratepayers would have a guarantee that there, would v be no funny business quietly pushed through with, the knowledge that it would receive no publicity. It must be remembered that committee meetings are not open to Press or public! This paper commends Councillor Stallworthy who alone raised his voice to protest at this latest move to shroud municipal affairs m secrecy. The amount of futile discussion that takes place nt council meetings over trumpery matters if applied to serious debate on subjects worth while would obviate any necessity for the Town Clerk's recommendation. This paper at any rate sees no reason why the license, which m the past has enabled committees to approve of some astounding things, should be perpetuated. The whole point is: What is going to constitute routine business?