TRENCHANT CRITICISM VOICED

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 13331, 18 December 1943, Page 2

TRENCHANT CRITICISM VOICED

PROTEsYbT^ oppo «®iS?> Raisin s of Loan ot £12,600 Attempt to Discu« , ln C °mmitte Defeij Some trenchant critics methods adopted by th of Electric Power Board in "*** certain of its business voiced in a letter written?* '** °- Baron, a member „| and received at the ms on Thursday,- , "“«■ have 1116 letter deal,' wllh '• mittee was defeated. The board had dealt ffith majority of the items 0Q the, when the dep„, y^aima ' «. Clarke) asked it ,h cre ‘ 11 <■ general business. Some l, e ‘ this heading ,vere de.„ ™ the deputy-chairman then that the board g 0 into co Ummouon being secondedby^: Mr Baron asked if it were intended to go into committee to consirt the remainder of the items on m agenda and the deputy-chairman h Unrated that this was the case. Mr Baron then mentioned thathere was one item on the agendi which read, “Letter from Mr s c Baron re. raising loan of £12,600 ' and he moved that that letter fc read in public meeting. That letter he said, tended to show his dissatk faction with the methods of raisin: the loan. Any question of loans n s of vital to the ratepayers. The deputy-chairman said the reason for proposing that the letter be taken in committee was that the subject dealt with in it had been discussed in committee at the last meeting.

It was pointed out by Mr Baron that after a meeting the minutes became open to the public.

The amendment by Mr Baron that the letter be taken in public was seconded by Mr Wickham, pro. forma, and carried, Messrs. Baron, Wickham and Lieutenant-Commander C, J.West voting for it and Messrs. Gane and H. G, Lever against. The letter was then read by the secretary. It was as follows;

“In reference to the resolution carried at a meeting of the board held on November 25 last, authorising the secretary to accept a loan of £ 12,500 against debentures, and against which I voted, I wish to place on record my emphatic protest against the action taken by tbs board: —

(1) In authorising the acceptance of a loan without first knowing the identity of the lender and his nano being revealed to the board. (2) In agreeing to the giving debentures for thfc loan wilboragreeing that the certification of its board’s solicitors as to the for® c! the debentures and its contents b! obtained.

“The amendment moved by Ewas to the above effect, and amendment should have been P ut 1 the vote without the need of be® seconded, as the proceedings w*. ‘in committee’ of the board. “This is written for the P ur _ of recording my dissent and against the methods adopted J board. , , nil f that “I would further POin the offer to lend should haie placed in writing. (0 “No mention was ma whether it was P ointe< boar d agents for the lendei re£pCC t „ad a contingent na^ raMa „ to the claim of the i conrSf , ough Council. Th! |’ 1 ce s be£t should show on any mater iil produced and is a ve &r point and should no tbat (b e the board. It positionlender was aware oH* nol ft. be that as it may, e ce . left in any doubt oi d p “I wish this letter to b fore the board at lts ho a S ,donotfeel«“ ed a ‘ loJ .f. i; self responsible foi board, and al.w “ * authorising the ur ge I* loan has been as chairman, to la (M , e»» are necessary to # thl " h S er T; no mere w r ecei ve ° letter, which second i* nrotion ot M. ant: C»forma, by West.