ANCIENT BOROUGH HISTORY.

Taihape Daily Times, 25 July 1919, Page 4

ANCIENT BOROUGH HISTORY.

S The foisting of ancient history upon the public as current news is not ' always productive of the best results, nor does it. create‘ the best of feeling in those who it is supposed to interest and inform. If the Bbrough Council will persist in -the stupid practice of withholding from ratepayers what most concerns them, and what they are as much entitled to know as any whom they have sent to: represent them on the Council, -they will certainly ‘bring ‘about all the dissatisfaction their unnecessary secrecy invokes. At last Friday ’s meeting a report on a subject of considerable moment was‘presented and‘ adopted ‘one xhvordviof (lisicussiozn or: c:o‘lnlnent.‘\ln ‘vain tve -sought‘ ‘the cause, but found. _the Council had Aplaeedvlitsc-lf ta.‘ gr‘etes~q_ueh_p(os"ition" [ invpublishing a report ..thatfsho'uld have been’ published ‘for public 'infornraTtion" about a. month lpreviii-o'usly,°wlicn it’ would have been” iinderstandable, but published atthe p}:esent’time, it bears “all the appeanances of a desire to further cloud the._issue it-, purports to l’illum'-inate. The report re-ferred to states that a. special committee met ( Mr Nathan and laid their views or the {water ‘supply question before him on I the 17th inst._. and we were giving the committee credit for being particularly prompt and businesslike in getting the result of that meeting before the Coun- ‘ cil, which met thé"next evening. When {Eve read that -title‘ committee had adjourned "till still tThinking the ‘c'ommit"t.ce tvas ‘rather slllai't,'bllt when -inorc than "half" way through’ the preciousi report: we found lstllat;’from the given‘ ttlleréin,’ lthe eolnnlittee"vs?'a‘s‘ reporting, and the Council was adopting, the ‘impossible, disgust and pity took possession. The Council ought to take care that ratepayers are not treated to such ridiculous publieations respecting" its doings. This’ report was presented ‘in silence, and we can quite understand ! why there was no discussion. The re- ; port contains nothing but what should, [in ‘pursuance of duty" and obligation, Thave been placed in the possession of 3-atc.pa._vers Quite a month ‘ago, for wherevthe report states “instant” it I'e-ally means “ultimo.” VVorse still, what it. states as be'ing current does not nearly represent the position respecting the water-supply question as it stands to-day, Will .the '-Council make amends by letting ratepayers know what the chances now are of having a more dependable and a more adequate supply of water‘?