CORRESPONDENCE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 289, 3 June 1912, Page 4

CORRESPONDENCE

OUR BOROUGH FATHERS. To the Editor. Sir—l have always thought our local Council was, like Caesar's wife, above suspicion, but apparently there is room to doubt. If persistent rumors (to say nothing of published facets) may be relied on, there is ample room for the infusion of a little sense of ordinary schoolboy honor, and also for a more dignified view of the position of councillor. I have been for nearly 30 years connected with one of the largest Government departments, but have never seen a man condemned without knowing exactly what was st'ated against him, and having the right of defending himself. Even a confirmed criminal enjoys this privilege, and the Government will, if lie wishes, pay for lega assistance for him. Although the facts were for some reasons suppressed from the reports of the last Borough Council meeting, it seems that the local sexton was dismissed for throwing back on to a cleaned up grave plot certain rubbish, which some amateur grave-cleaner had illegally thrown on other people's grayes. Is it true that the man £'ho thus broke the cemetery by-laws by Cutting rubbish in the wrong place is the identical gentleman who in the Council condemns the sexton? If so, this is bad enough, but when the other councillors are led to believe the sexton is "a defiant customer," etc., and it is only fair that he should be present to defend limself. The published facts are.rather awkward ones and demand a full inquiry if the borough is to retain public confidence. Surely there are enough straight men on the, /council to see that absolute fair play p is dealt out and that its employees are not placed at the mercy of any hackstairs agitator whom they happen to offend when protecting the rights of the public. New Plymouth is favored in having a fearless and impartial press, and behind this there is enough healthy public opinion to see that every man has fair play.—l am, etc., FAIR PLAY. A PLEA FOR FAIR PLAY. To the Editor. Sir,—Before I left the Old Country I often heard that New Zealand was the "working man's paradise," and that it led the world in its up-to-date legislation. A few years' residence here 'has taught me that while this is a very beautiful land and very up-to-date, there are still some things on which old "John Bull" can give it points. We never condemn a criminal, for instance, 1 without ! giving him a fair trial, and the right | to defend himself. Here I find that even j a Borough Council employee does not get that much consideration, but may safely be maligned behind his back and deprived of liis character and living, when, if he bad been heard in self defence, he might have cleared himself easily. Hearing the rumors of the case, I have, as a ratepayer, got into touch with the facts, and the sexton's explanation shows the case' is not, much to the Council's credit. Had this happened in • the Rhondda Valley, where I have resided, an angry swarm of ten or twenty I thousand Welsh miners would have I shown their sense of fair play by prob--1 ably wrecking the council chambers, and (escorting at least one councillor to the nearest horse-pond.—l am. etc., DISGUSTED.