IN COMMITTEE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 20, 18 October 1907, Page 8

IN COMMITTEE.

O DISCUSSION AT THE HARBOUR BOARD. "STAR CHAMBER" AND "GALLERY PLAY." Tho practico of taking business in .committee 's just now causing considcrablo dissension amongst various public bodies. Even so staid an institution as Victoria College Council showed on \yednosday night that it was not iniimmo from this controversy, and yesterday afternoon tho Harbour Board once more got into grips over tho same old bono of contention. 1 It was no now experience for this Board, however. Tho " committee " question worries it as much as King Charles' head did poor Mr. Dick. Mr. Fletcher sot the ball rolling, as ho has done moro than onco before. It was a special meeting called to consider correspondence regarding preference to tho Wharf Labourers* Union, audalso to receive a deputation from other employers. After stating tho object of the meeting, tlio chairman, the Hon. T. K. Macdonald, moved that tho Board go into committee. " A Sort of Star Chamber." Mr. Fletcher"ls there any. reason why tlio Board should go comuiitteo? I do not know that thorp is anything that tho public should not bo made acquainted with. I cahnot for the life of mo seo why tho Board should bo going into committee overy fivo minutes. Tho public has a right to know what is being done. Why should this Board bo made a sort of Star Chamber?" Mr. Boauchamp seconded tho motion. At this stage tho Chairman read tho following clauso from tho Standing Orders: "Tho meetings of the Board may bo open to the public, but tho chairman may, at any timo, on a resolution of tho Board; order strangers to withdraw; and-any stranger not so withdrawing may bo held guilty of an offence." If tho Board ordered strangers to withdraw, ho added, tho Press must withdraw. It was a question of resolution. The question, ho said, had been raised at tho meeting of the Victoria College Council oil Wednesday night, anil it was a matter, that tho Board would liavo to'deal with comprehensively at a later dato.- At present tho Board was agreed that all questions affecting salaries, for instance, should bo discussed in committee. Personally, he was propared to admit that moro matters may havo boon taken in committee than should havo been; they should not in any. way do anything that might tend to give the public the impression that they were a Star Chamber body.

Mr. Fletcher: "I bate tiiis mystery and secrecy. Tlioro is a halo of mystery over tho proceedings." ; The Halo of Mystery. Mr. Beauchamp: "Tho halo of mystery, I think, exists largely in tho mind of Mr. Fletcher. Tho object of taking cortain mattors in open meeting, instead of in committee, is to' play to the gallery, as I have said before." ■" ,' " Mr. Fletcher: "Do you refer to me? " ,• • Mr. Beauchamp: "I am repeating what I have said beforo." Mr. Fletcher: "He is,repeating this about myself, as ho has ( dono before. It is a most improper thing. Anything I havo done lioro has been not with a desire to play to the gallery—perhaps not so much as ho has— but in the interest of public good., 'I ani not playing to tho gallery at all." . Tho chairman deprecated any personal imputations amongst members—it. only tended to .create unpleasantness and bitterness. Tho Board had been •, singularly freo from personal reflections, and he hoped they, jvouhl continue in that pleasant and amiablo frame of mind. ]\li. Beauchamp said he only resented such remarks from Mr. Fletcher—ho had made them on several occasions—that tho Board was a Star Chamber. Whatever had' been 4 dono by tho Board had been done with tho distinct ■ object of meeting its interests. In view of past experience ho should at , all times,protest against any. alteration 1 in' tho procedure. When a member, time after time,' called tho Board a Star Chamber, and, demanded that "more light'.' bo thrown on matters, he (Mr. Beauchamp) was prepared to join issue, with him, whether it wero Mr. Fletcher or anybody else.' With a view to saving further discussion, tho Chaiiman pointed out that, after tho Board resumed in open meeting, any member could, go over tho''whole ground of dis-. cussion in committee, so that the public could be mado acquainted with what went on. Ho was in favour of publicity where possible, but in some cases it would ,be a great disadvantage to take the discussion lit open meeting. Mr. . Macdonald again referred to tho " strong things" said at the Victoria College Council; lie should' havo thought .that tlio quiet professorial >atmosphero of a University would bo freo' from accusations of " liolo and corner business " j ho hoped tho Harbour Board, at any rate', would pursiio a policy different to that. An Important Aspect. Mr. Shirtclflfo said the question jvas assuming \;i very, important aspect—more important, perhaps, than was altogether wargranted. He quito* agreed that as Jittlc as possible should be dono in committee, but thero wero many important questions connected with the policy, of. tho Board which ' could be discussed more freely in committee, and the details threshed out. Tho matter in question was one that should bo discussed in committee.The motion to go into committee was then put and carried, Sir. Fletcher dissecting. I am sorry, gentlemen, you should not have the opportunity of recording a whole lot of discussion," .romarked the chairman to the reporters as they wero retiring, "but later on we may be able to give you something.''