STABLE SECRETS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 217, 12 March 1912, Page 8

STABLE SECRETS

I LIVELY EPISODE AT THE COUNCIL. I COUNCILLOR ARRAIGNED FOR RUSHING INTO PRINT. The curtain was rung down on last i night's meeting of the Borough Council j with a breezy discussion on a nice point' of etiquette involved in the action of a civic fatter in criticising the actions 1 of his fellow councillors and certain of | the borough officers in the cslumns of ' the local press. Cr. Buxton set the ball rolling by asking councillors to express an opinion on the desirableness or otherwise of one of ? their members airing his views on council business in newspapers. He referred f to a letter appearing under the name of ' James T. Mannix on February 17 last. A POINT OF ORDER. Cr. Gilbeit immediately rose to a point j of order, but the Mayor (Mr. Browne) j ruled that no harm would be done in discussing the matter. Cr. Buxton then proceeded to read extracts from what he termed the objectionable epistle. These, he commented, constituted a reflection on the whole of the council and the electrical staff. "I think," he continued, "that such things should be stopped. There are certain other things in the letter to which I will not refer." Cr. Mannix: I would like him to read the letter right through, your Worship. Cr. Buxton then complied with the request, punctuating the quotations with such remarks as,'"A nice ithing to go and rush into print about officers of the council." . . "It is a reflection upon every separate councillor here." . "It is a very serious thing, too." Councillors then, as Cr. Jackson proI tested, got very much 1 off the track. > lapsing into a long and rambling difi- . cussion as to the cause of the delay in the delivery of some mew machinery, and completely overlooking Cr. Mannix's . . alleged'ofifence. Cr. A&bury asked if it was a meeting of the Electrical Committee or a discusion of etiquette, and, thus prompted, Cr. Buxton returned to the fray.

"NOT THE GOOD YOUNG MAN OF THE COUNCIL." There were cries of, "Why don't you move a motion !" when Cr. Buxton commenced to speak, to which he retorted that he liad no intention of complying with it, stating that he merely desired to bring forward the matter in order to show that Cr. Mannix was not the good yoUng' man of the council, the "best man," in fact, thaf> he set himself up M in the press. He then went on to refer in a satirical vein to the councillor in question holding up his hands in holy horror, and advertising the fact that he was going to save the ratepayers from the expenditure of thousands of pounds, and what not. "I want," he concluded, "to emphatically protest against that' sort of thing." A fellow councillor: That is not an answer. Why don't you move a motion? Cr. Buxton: I lfave done all I want to.

"EXTREMELY BAD TASTE." Cr. Ambury also joined in the protest against Cr. Mannix's method of criticising the administration of the borough. Members of the council, including Cr. Mannix, had .every opportunity, he remarked, in the various discussions at the council table of voicing their" opinions and carrying out the responsibilities oi office without rushing into print. To his mind it Was extremely bad taste tc criticise in the press the actions <of the council. Cr. Kibby was proceeding to endorse what the 1 previous speaker had said when Cr. Gilbert again interjected, "] should like to ask," he said, "whethei he is going to move a motion, or are w< going to stay here all night?" Cr. Clarke: It is ordinary business. A voice: It is extraordinary business (Laughter.) Resuming, Cr. Kibby said it was man! festly .unfair to annoy the officers in th< press and to criticise work while it was in progress. There should not be, hi urged, constant complaifit about wasti money until the job was completed (Hear, hear.)

A BREEZY INTERLUDE. The Mayor also thought that Cr. Mannix's conduct was regrettable under the circumstances. In his opinion the chairman of the- Electric Light Committee should have taken the matter up, as there was a distinct charge against him. This brought forth <a warm rejoinder from the chairman of the committee, Cr. Clarke. "I rise," he remarked excitedly, "to'object. It ( was your duty. Jt was a breach of etiquette, and is a charge against the council as a whole." He added that he regretted there was no motion on the subject. The Mayor: It was my intention to have broached the matter, but Cr. Buxton stepped in before me. Cr. Buxton interjected that he was sorry he did his* Worship out of the job. (Laughter.) "PLAYING TO THE GALLERY." "Playing to the gallery," was Cr. Buttimore's version of Cr. Mannix as a correspondent, while Cr. Gilbert, on the other hand, contended that the subject of this censure had a perfect right in his private capacity to criticise any action of the council. At this juncture the Mayor attempted to apply the closure to the debate, only to be interrupted by Cr. Ambury, who •thought it only fair that Cr. Mannix should be given the opportunity of making an explanation. "I feel badly squashed," remarked the offending councillor, with a grim smile, "but, at the eame time, I want you to understand that I shall not hesitate to write again to the press whenever I feel it my duty to do so, notwithstanding the fact that I may be criticised at every council meeting. I have nothing to take back." He added that he would do the same thing to-morrow morning if he considered he would be protecting the ratepayers' interests by doing so. He might be called "the good boy," but lie was going to do his duty all the game. He was convinced that there were some things said at the council table that did not get the publicity they ought to. Referring to a case in point, he remarked, "I think the electrical engineer did not do his duty. I have asked him questions to which I did not get replies. If I can't get information here I will go to the press!" A WITHDRAWAL. A Councillor: Do I understand you to

Bay that you will write on matters in committee or out of it? Cr. Mannix: Whenever I feel dissatisfied. The Mayor was then appealed to as to whether committee business should be divulged, and he ejaculated, "Positively no! Things in committee should be sacred." Cr. Mannix: If I said so, I withdraw it. I made an error. The discussion then fiazled out, no motion being carried as the Mayor was of the opinion that none was necessary, as the councillors* end had been served by publicly discussing the matter.