The Daily News. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12. MUNICIPAL PICKINGS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 313, 12 February 1910, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12. MUNICIPAL PICKINGS.

The "tag" of the Audit Department from year to year affords a subject for derisive comment by local bodies froi.-i one end of the country to the other, ~but it is safe to say that the general taxpayer is more pleased than otherwise with the knowledge that the bal-ance-sheets of their local administrations are subjected to a rigid examination. Many of the '"tags" are, strictly speaking, of no moment, amounting to little more than red-tape discernment as opposed to a common-sense discretion in book-keeping, but only good can result in curtailing opportunities to play "ducks and drakes" with local government finance. But there are fe.v "tags," happily, that are of sullicient importance to excite general interest, and it has remained for the Napier Borough Council to distinguish itself in having exceeding the limits allowed by the laws |of municipal government, in connecI tion therewith a most peculiar position has arisen, the audit investigation having disclosed the unsavoury fact that a number of councillors had earned disqualification by having financial dealings with the uorough to an extent beyond the limits prescribed by the 3jfum--1 cipal Corporations Act. In conseqienee tne Council cannot muster a quoru/.i, and no business can be transacted until the vacancies have been filled. The position was disclosed through the Audit Department's tag to the balance-sheet, which pointed out that one councillor had had piclcings from the Council io .the extent of £3l, the limit allowed jy law being £lO. There was no suggestion that in supplying the Council with material to that value the councillor in 1 question acted in other than good faith, but undoubtedly in so doing he disqu rifled himself from retaining his seat, and lie at once tendered his resignation. The Council thereupon decided on a more thorough investigation, with tha result' that it was shown that others of the councillors had also been guilty of so-called "illegal" trading to amouius ranging from £2 up to nearly £2O. Under some circumstances there might be some justification for members nf ,local bodies feeling aggrieved that they are debarred from doing business in the ordinary way with the bodies they administer, but to our mind such circumstances must be altogether special. The limit deliberately fixed by Statute is provided with a single object of guarding against the possibility of corruption. Apparently no such check is provided in America, where the incentive of "spoils to the victors" is the inspiring motive of thousands of office-seekerfi. While the New Zealand law might have the effect of causing many able business men, who otherwise would give their time and talent to the management <-f ( municipal affairs, to confine their activities solely to their own businesses, to our mind such loss is not too great a , price to pa.v for the removal of the possibility""of corruption in local body trading. New Zealand is, we are proud to believe, singularly free from the debasing practises that have made lopil government in America a. reproach, but.

v,* ; - would not go so far as to say, we-e there no penalty provided, that, tshe-e are not, in this country men who woiVld not nsr their positions to further thrown ends. There mav not have been—indeed, we believe there waif not—any deliberate intention on the part- of any of the Napier borough councillors to tr.msgrrss the law. but while thev roight consider it somewhat hard m giving their time freely in the interests of the ratepayers they are debarred from ha vine business transactions with the Council, it is only necessary to •point out that no exceptions can be made to a rule which, if it lie mandatory. is none the less just. The "pickings" system is but the thin edge of the wedgo that. once admitted, would probably lead to the exploitation of. the public. -The purity of local government and public life in New Zealand ■ must be jealously guarded, and it is fortunate that attention has ben ■pointedly directed to the situation that has arisen at Napier before the system has the opportunity of growing to abuse.