More Publicity Urged For Transport Board

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29260, 19 July 1960, Page 16

More Publicity Urged For Transport Board

A move to end a “hush-hush policy” by admitting the press and public to meetings of the works and traffic committee of the Christchurch Transport Board was made by the board yesterday. A sub-committee was appointed to report to the works and traffic committee.

That committee comprises all the board members and holds its meeting directly after the monthly meeting of the board, to which its report and recommendations are made a month later.

The Onehunga Borough Council had decided to admit the press to all its meetings, including those of committees, said Mr R. H. Stillwell. The general public thought the board met only once a month, but it really met four times a month. "The works and traffic committee’s report is marked “Private and confidential, by order of Christchurch Transport Board,’,” said Mr Stillwell. "This policy has been handed to us by other boards since it started. I feel that this hush-hush policy should cease and that the newspapers should be allowed to report the works and traffic committee and tell the ratepayers how the work is going on and how the board, at its meetings, arrived at its conclusions.”

There was no comment that day on the committee’s report because the debates were at the committee meeting, said Mr Stillwell. The interested parties—the ratepayers—did not know the details. “Little to Write About”

“The public want to know more about the transport system,” said Mr Stillwell. “The newspapers are the custodians of the ratepayers. They write up anything which happens in this board—but they have too little to write about, as far as the open board is concerned. Something should be done to alter this antiquated policy of ‘confidential’ business.” The setting up of a subcommittee to report was advocated by Mr H. E. Denton, who said he was of the same opinion as Mr Stillwell. Admission of the press and public might retard criticism and discussion of board members and the exact opposite of Mr Stillwell’s purpose might be brought about. “I don't agree that the newspapers are the custodians," said Mr Denton. ‘We are. We are elected as the custodians to do the job. The newspapers’ duty is to give an unbiased report of our stewardship.” “Plain Speaking” Not one member of the public, he could recall, had ever attended a board meeting, said Mr Denton. There was no "hush-hush,” because many board members had spoken very plainly at board meetings. Mr Stillwell: It is stale news. Mr Denton: It isn’t, because it is the first opportunity they have to get the news. Mr Denton's motion that a sub-committee of three members be appointed was seconded by Mr Stillwell. The works and traffic committee did the bulk of the work in which most of the users of the transport service were interested, said Mr J. Shankland, jun. If the press were admitted, to its meetings, it would still be competent for the committee to go into committee. Not one ratepayer knew the day on which the board held its meeting or where. In the past, the citizens had shown an appalling apathy in board elections.

The reasons for the commit tee’s decisions were never reported, said the chairman (Mr J. Palmer). The committee should be open to the press, except when the information was confidential

“I think we should tell the public more,” said Mr Palmer. “We don’t tell them enough at present. As far as I know, this is the only board which meets in the daytime. If the board met in the evening, there might be greater incentive to the public to come along. The proposal is a sensible idea.”

The board turned down applications for extension of their bus routes and the petitioners would be ifiterested to know that the proposals were uneconomical because only an average of two persons travelled on the bus, said Mr Denton. “That is all we want them to know,” said Mr Denton. “We want to be honest and, in that honesty, we want to create an interest greater than 9 per cent, of the people going to the Transport Board elections. Transport is one of the main bones of contention with the man in the street and he doesn’t take the interest to vote. Let us bring him into this room and tell him why we have turned him down and the pros and cons not only of works and traffic but of finance. He is quite within his rights in wanting to know how we are running, how the workshops are working and what we are doing. There should be nothing complex in it. Let us be honest with ourselves and the general public.” The motion was carried. When Messrs Denton, Palmer and Stillwell were nominated, Mr Denton sgid "the other side of the table" should be definitely represented. Mr W. S. MacGibbOm This is something which could be advantageously thrashed out by the works and traffic committee. “What is wrong in bringing the report down to the works and traffic committee?” asked Mr Denton. Mr Mac Gibbon: There is nothing wrong in that. Nomination was declined by Mr R. G. Brown (“I will be out of town for a while”); Mr E. J. Bradshaw (“I will be very busy”); Mr Mac Gibbon (“I have too much on my plate”) and Mr A. J. Woodward. When Mr Denton withdrew, Mr Woodward agreed to be the third member of the sub-committee.