CRITICISM OF COUNCILLORS.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 April 1919, Page 8

CRITICISM OF COUNCILLORS.

PUBLIC STATEMENTS CHALLENGED At the conclusion of the business of last night's meeting of tlie Borough Council the Mayor drew attention to the report of some statements made at the meeting of ratepayers held on Monday evening under the auspices of the Employers' Association. He said he did not know anything about a resolution to the effect that the cost of every work undertaken should be tabulated and laid before the council, but he did know that the cost of any work could be ascertained by any ratepayers on application to any of the councillors, or the council's officers. He was surprised that Mr. Wilson, with his knowledge of council business and procedure, should make such a statement as he had done in a public meeting. The Mayor remarked that never in the history of New Plymouth had there been such a satisfactory system in the office of the engineer as there was at present. He took strong exception to" the remark# made by Mr. Sole, who had accused councillors of allowing personal interests to outweigh their judgments, and thought in making such a statement in public he should have explained what he meant by giving instances. He thought Mr. Sole had evidently either said too much or not quite enough. He challenged anyone to point to an instance in which he (the Mayor) had allowed personal interests to affect his work on the council, and he did not believe the statement could be proved against any councillor. He did not mind criticism, much of which was the result of a want of knowledge, but when the council was accused of placing personal feelings before the interests of the ratepayers he thought it was going a little too far. He paid a warm tribute to the faithful and conscientious way in which the present council had discharged its duties, and remarked that some people seemed to think that theA were no brains around the council table and that better councillors could be picked up at the street corner. If the ratepayers /wanted decent councillors and Mayor they should at least treat them witli common respect. Cr. Clarke, in repudiating the suggestion ot personal interest on the part of the council, said' it was a strange thing that all the criticism that had been levelled against the council had been of a destructive character, and not one idea had been put forward on which the council could have acted in any way better than it had done. He favored the formation of ratepayers' associations if they were going to assist the councillors, but if, as often seemed the case, they were only for the purpose of destructive criticism, they would do no good. So far as he was personally concerned he did not care anything for the criticism. He expected it. He knew even in the past week or two he had opposed matters in the council Which might cost him many votes, but while he was at the council table he would always oppose what he thought to be wrong, whether it cost him votes or not. Anyone who wanted it was welcome to his place on the council.

Cr. Deare, who was present at the meeting at which the matter was referred to bv the Mayor took place, said he admitted he heard criticism which he did not like, and which he thought was not justified, but he had let it pass without comment as he was hopeful of some good coming out of the meeting. He had stated that he had been willing to offer himself for re-election if his services were desired, but since then lie had had more abuse, and now would not stand on any account.

Other councillors agreed that the charge of personal interests against them was not warranted.