THE SOUTH AUCKLAND CATTLE BOARD AND THE PRESS. TO THE EDITOR.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1245, 22 June 1880, Page 3

THE SOUTH AUCKLAND CATTLE BOARD AND THE PRESS. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,— l read with some astonishment your leading article in last Thursday's issue of the Times, in which you charge the South Auckland Cattle Board with "excluding the reporters of the Prets, and through them the general public from their meetings." Upon what grounds you base your charge I am utterly at a loss to know. I attended the meeting of the Board at the request ef the chairman, by telegram, but I had no idea at the time, nor have I yet, that • • you have reason to know that Mr Fantham, at any rate, was in favor of admitting the Press, but he must have been alone in his opinion, otherwise sneh a motion would not have been carried." No motion in reference to press reporters came bfore the meeting so could not have been carried or lost. Further on you remark that " much too little has been known of the Board's actions recently. " If that is the case, which I deny, whose fault is it ? I have attended I believe every meeting of the Board, and until the meeting to-day "week a reporter to your paper was always present, so that the members of the Board cannot, I think, be fairly charged with intentions of keeping the public uninformed. You also ask " What could be the meaning of the exclusion of the Board's own officers ?" I would ask, in reply, "Why should the officei's of the Board," as you style them, "consider they have a right to be present at any of the meetings ?" It is necessary sometimes for members to comment upon the actions of the inspectors, and this, I hold, cannot be done if they are present, hence I have had occasion to suggest that for their own sakes it wo 'Id be advisable for them to retire. As a member of the Board I never have been in favor of excluding reporters from the meetings ; on the contrary, I have always been for giving them every indulgence, and if in this instance any obstruction was placed in their way, which I am not aware was the case, I base been no party to it. And why you should consider it necessary that meetings of the Board should be publicly convened I fail to see. Perhaps the loss of one or two insertions of an advertisement may have something to do with it. In reference to your remarks " why no action was taken regarding the districts of Kirikiriroa and Cambridge. " Had you taken the trouble to inquire you could have found out that the restrictions on those districts expired on the very day your article was published. I very much regret that you should have thought it necessary to comment so severely upon the action of the Board, I think that if you had known all, there was not that blame attachable which you consider they so much deserve. And as statements, however incorrect they may be, are generally held to be true until denied, I deem it but fair to myself that I should ask you to publish this letter. — I am, &c., Heney Buttle. Pukerimu, 19th June.

[Our representative was informed by a responsible officer of the Board that the Press would not be admitted on that particular occasion. We repeat " that much too little has been known of the Board's doings recently." We admit that no actual meeting has been held without the presence of our reporter ; but many things have been done by the Board since its last duly convened meeting on which little light has been thrown. It is not only our idea that it is " necessary " that the meetings of the Board should be publicly convened : it is, or was, the opinion of the members* of the Cat fie Hoard them)>chv>. At the last meeting of the Board to which reporters and the general public were admitted, held on Saturday, May 22nd, it was resolved "that the meetings of the Board stand adjourned until such time as the chairman may think necessary, the next meeting to be notified by two advertisements in the Waikato Timks." Why Mr Buttle should on the 22nd May think one thing, and on' the 19th June think another, he does not explain. — Ei>.]