MORE LIGHT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8060, 13 March 1906, Page 2

MORE LIGHT.

THE BOROUGH COUNCIL AND THE RATEPAYERS. At last night's meeting of the Now Plymouth Borough Council, the following letter from the editor of the Tahaxaki Daily News was read:— "To the Mayor anil Councillors: Dear Sirs,—l beg respectfully to suggest that the embargo at present placed on the local Press by your Council, in the preventing of reporters from attending meetings of the \Yorks Committee, be removed. Most of the business of the Council is, as you are aware, dealt with at the eommiltee meetings, and only a meagre precis is supplied for publication. We would, T might add, at all limes respect the wishes of the committee mj regard to the temporary suppression of news of any business I lie publication of which might be considered inadvisable in the interests of the Council or individuals. Hoping that you will see the wisdom of removing a restriction which seems lo.be hardly in the intercsls of the Council or the ratepayers, —[ am, etc,"

The Mayor pointed out that although the greater part of the correspondence and business of the Council was considered by the Works Committee, and only the resolutions supplied to the Press, all the letters and transactions were nevertheless open to the Press for perusal. The reason the business had been done in committee, he had no doubt, was because of the latitude allowed councillors at these meetings, it would be inadvisable to have the free discussions published. The papers might say the meetings were not being conducted according to the rules of debate, but he held that they were there to transact business in the interests of the ratepayers and not to supply copy for newspapers. He did r.ot believe in curtailing discussion. If the Council wished that the Press should be admitted to committee meetings, he had no objection, but he pointed out it might have tho effect of breaking up free and full discussions.

Cr Collis said lie could soc no objection to the Press being present, and councillors were surely tliiek-skinued enough to stand the occasional little jokes of the newspapers. He did not see why the Clerk should have to write out the resolutions to supply to the Press, and he had not the slightest objection to the admission of the Press. The Council was transacting business of public interest, nnd he had found that the Press, as a rulo, were very careful not to publish anything the Council desired to keep back. Ho moved that the committee meeting be open to the Press as in previous years. Cr. Stohr seconded pro forma.

Cr. Brooking: I will voto against it. It has beeu considered before, and decided that it would not be politic to have these meetings open. Many matters crop up that it is undesirable should be. published.

Cr. Wilson moved an amendment that deferred (ill next year's committees are set up. He did so for the reason that if the Press were admitted, the public should be also, and that would do away with the very object of the committee work. However, lie was prepared to admit that the Council had got into a bad habit of dealing with all important matters in Works Committee. He had intended moving that the Works Committee should confino itself strictly to dealing with works, and that other important business bo dealt with in open Council. The Mayor said he quito agreed that too much of the business was being transacted by the Works Committee. The Works Committee cousisted of the Council as a whole, and they had got into the habit of dealing with all sorts of Council business He hoped that next year the Council would set up a Works Committee to deal only with works.

After some further discussion, Cr. Collis withdrew his motion in f ivor of the amendment, which was curried.