LET THE PEOPLE KNOW

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26616, 12 November 1947, Page 4

LET THE PEOPLE KNOW

In his valedictory remarks at the meeting of. the City Council on Monday night, Cr McCrae said: •“ Sometimes I think we do not use the newspapers enough to let the people know more about our work.” We earnestly recommend these words to the attention of the incoming members of the City Council and of the other local bodies. In recent years the newspapers have experienced increasing difficulty in obtaining information which they, as guardians of the public interest, feel the people are entitled to have. This difficulty has been apparent, not only in our dealings with local bodies, but also with departments of the public service. It is not long since a general instruction was issued forbidding the heads of State departments from giving any information to the press and all statements now have to be made by the Minister in charge of the department. Much the same position exists in local bodies. In the City Council, for example, information cannot be released by the head of any department without the sanction of the chairman of the committee concerned. It may be commented that greater difficulty has also been experienced in obtaining information from industrial and commercial sources and in these cases the reason which has repeatedly been given is that the representative approached has felt that, with political controls governing his firm’s business at so many points, publicity repugnant to the Government might prejudice relationships with Government departments. Political influence, though of a different nature, is also one reason for the stricter control of information which was formerly obtainable from the local heads of departments of the public service and of civic bodies. With'the increasing tendency to intrude politics into local affairs, the adherents of one party or another attempt to link development projects with the name of their own party. Public questions are made factors in building up political prestige when the welfare of the city should be the sole consideration. Even where this motive does not operate directly in this way, it may cause a non-

politically minded representative to exercise control over the business of his department in order to protect his own standing with the ratepayers. Whatever the cause may be, the results are not in the interests of the city. The public is entitled to know what the policy of the City Council is and what projects it has in mind for future developments. Only if this is done can the ratepayers co-operate

or assist by constructive criticism. Councillors'are not elected merely to do the work of the city, they are

appointed as agents and at all times they are responsible to the electors. Political prestige or personal dignity are irrelevant to the execution of this duty. Cr McCrae, as chairman of the Transport Committee, has at all times been accessible to the press and he has treated the numerous representations made to him with courtesy and frankness. His attitude has been fully appreciated and it would be to the advantage of the city if his example were borne in mind by future councillors.