NEWSPAPER REPORTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 September 1918, Page 7

NEWSPAPER REPORTS.

A COMPLAINT BY A COUNCILLOR. When the question of the confirmation ot the minutes of the previous meeting came up at Monday's meeting of the Taranaki County Council, Cr. Simpson raised the point that thev were not a correct record of what took place at the meeting. He said a discussion had taken place on the matter of the clerk's salary and there was no'record of it in the minutes. Cr. Morton: There was no resolution passed and therefore nothing to record Cr. Simpson, continuing, said Cr. McAllum had given notice of motion and that motion should appear in the minutes. He also said that he had noticed that in the press reports of the meeting there had been no mention of the discission, and he thought the press was failing in its duty in not acquainting the ratepayers with what transpired a], the Council table. He had always held it as Ins right, since coming on to the Council to make the ratepayers aware of the matters that were of interest to them which were dealt with by the Council, and bo took the opportunity of referring to the present instance, and told the Council that if nothing was heard of it in the ordinary way they must not be j surprised if ho took what means he thought necessary to give publicity to the discussion he had referred to. The Chairman said he considered Cr Simpson was taking up an extraordinary attitude on such a matter. It happened in connection with the proceedings of every public body that certain masters were discussed which it was considered not advisable to communicate to the press. He took it that when he intimated to the pressmen' that certain matters were not for publication that the Council supported him in that decision, and if a majority of the Council decided that certain matters should be withheld, he did not think that exception could be taken to such a course. Cr Simpson said he did not care what Mher public bodies did It was through the medium of the prega that the ratepayers were made aware of the business done by the Council. If the chairman had the right to say what should be made public and what should be suppressed, it was apt to shake confidence in the head of a public body. The Chairman repeated that he thought Cr. Simpson's was an extraordinary attitude. Cr. Morton said Cr, Simpson's objection was not based on good argument. There had been no resolution passed and therefore nothing to record on the minutes. So far as his recollection of the occurrence , served him, he thought the Chairman had invited the Council to informally discuss the mutter of the clerk's salary with a view to formulating a resolution to be submitted to a future meeting. He had no recollection of a notice of motion by Cr. McAllum. Cr. McAllum: The oiily notice I gave was in respect to concrete roads. Continuing, Cr. Morton said that if the Chairman intimated to the press to withhold from publication any business bein? discussed, lie was sure it was done in the best interests of the Council, and up to the present, at all events, he believed the Chairman had been backed up by the Council, who regarded it as equivalent to a motion to go into committee. If Councillors objected, they had the right to ask that any business should be done in open council. He had had a good many years' experience as a chairman, and said the practice followed by (he Council was a common one. Cr. Simpson said (hat as far as the notice of motion by Cr .McAllum was concerned he had evidently been mistaken. The press representatives present asked permission (which was granted) "to express their resentment of Cr. Simpson's remarks as to the press failing in \U duty to the public. They pointed out that as a common custom the chairman's Intimation that any matter was not for publication was equal to the Council going into committee, and to report the proceedings would be a grave breach of faith on their part. Cr. Simpson said that from his long experience of the printing.trade he knew what should be done by the newspapers in such circumstances, and he would not he dictated to by any representatives. A Councillor: Things have changed since you were in'the printing trade! A reply was made that the press representatives were not prepared to accept Cr. Simpson's advice on such matters. The motion for the confirmation of the minutes was carried unanimously, and the matter dropped. '