COUNTY COUNCIL METHODS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 61, 12 March 1915, Page 6

COUNTY COUNCIL METHODS.

HOW A MEETING 18 COHDUCTED BY WAITEMATA COUNCILIX)Rsi An exceptional, if not an important? meeting of the Waitemata County Council was held to-day. The Coiuifil commenced its business by retiring into a room, and locking the door, the "Star" reporter assigned to cover the meeting being left outside to do policeman's beat in the passage. The Council usually transact their business to the accompaniment of a great deal of noise, but the din that proceeded from the business side of the door this 'morning wae loud enough and disturbing enough to bring people from various parta of the building to make inquiries. Had a dentist come to practise in their midst, or were election candidates opening up committee rooms on the premises ? These queries and others to the same effect were put to the reporter, whoee explanation that the Waitemata County Council was holding an important meeting was received, in most cases, as an endeavour to explain away something that wasn't quite respectable.

The uproar in the boardrrom lasted for about an hour and a-half without abatement, and to all the reporter's inquiries came the answer that "the Council was in committee and would l>e all right in a minute." It appeared that being in committee was synonomous with a general argument amongst the members, in which most of them spoke at the same time, the man with the loudest voice obtaining most points. Promptly at one o'clock the din ceased, and the Council issued from the room, the patient reporter being rewarded with the information that the two-hour sitting of the Council had been devoted to the consideration of tenders and the examination of a new system of book-keeping.

The tenders were for the formation of Blackhridge Road, Dairy Flat, and the successful applicants were Messrs. Gibson Brothers, at £130.

The engineer's report, which is being considered this afternoon, contains a somewhat indignant paragraph in connection with grant expenditure, which reads:—"The time has arrived when very radical changes must be made in the method of grant expenditure. The Public Works Department has become very criticial, and insists upon seeing contractor's schedule before vouchers will be parsed for payment. I have frequently pointed out that onr method of dealing with contracts was very loose and irregular, but you have never taken the matter seriously; but now the Public Works Department insiste upon proper methods, so far as contracts covering grant expenditure is concerned, something miuit be done. 'None of our contracts are signed by th c Council. Neither are they stamped." Members of the Board will no doubt find material in the engineer's report for another warm in camera debate.