CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 156, 28 March 1929, Page 12

CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS

FETANCE & DEPUTATIONS MAYOR’S REPLY TO COUNCILLOR R. SEMPLE Councillor R. Semple has made a statement, in the course of which he objects to the methods of conducting the business of the City Council. One of his chief objections is to the practice of the council as a whole meeting as the Finance Committee, from which the Press is excluded, and this he characterises as a “star chamber” method. He also objects to the recent decision of the council in regard to deputations at. Council meetings. That decision was based upon the abnormal length of time taken on council meeting nights by deputations, when the matters .brought forward could just as readily be heard by the particular committee concerned. In this connection Mr. Semple has tabled a notice of motion (which is seconded by Councillor' R. McKeen) to rescind the recent resolution. To Mr. Semple’s strictures the Mayor (Mr. G. A.. Troup) has replied as follows-“Councillor Sepjple’s statement with regard, to the Composition of the Finance Committee of the Wellington City Council, in view of his action when the change was brought about is, to say the least of it, Very extraordinary. The reasons for the' change in making the Finance Committee, which formerly consisted of seven members, a committee consisting of the whole council, were as follows ’(1) The Finance Committee is the . body in the council that reviews thjr decisions of all the other committees on all matters where finance is concerned. It is in fact ‘the’ committee of committees and every coun-cillor-has by virtue Of his’office an undoubted ’ right to liear and take part in ’every discussion which takes place there. (2) That with every councillor . included on this committee there could be no hole and corner work.

“A? formerly constituted, the Finnace Committee of seven members only required to., secure one other adherent to any of their proposals and they could push them through the council. . With the committee-as’a whole.- every matter is thoroughly thrashed out and nothing can' be concealed.

“In -the last council, there were frequent complaints that the Finance Committee dominated the council,' and no one was'more prominent in making-these complaints than ; tvas Councillor Semple. Councillors who were not on the Finance Committee also felt that they were not in the inner workings of the council, and when the proposal to make the Finance Committee n committee of the whole was brought forward nt the first meeting of the present council held on May 11. 1027, it was welcomed and carried. Councillor Semple was present'and voted with the others. • • “The following is an extract from, the minutes of the above-mentioned meeting: ‘Re Constitution of Finance Committee: Councillor-Mitchell moved that all matters previously dealt with by the Finance and Property Committee be dealt with by the council as n whole in committee. Seconded by Councillor McKeen nnd ried.’Deputations to the Council. “So long as deputations did not unduly take up tie time of the council, no objections were made to hearing them, but lately probably due to the nearness of the election, the’number of deputations has greatly increased..- Two meetings ago Councillor Semple introduced four deputations, which occupied one and a half hours of the council’s time, and when before The last meeting he intimated his intention to introduce another four, the council decided that in the future deputations should be heard by the committees concerned so that they could send forward a report, or a recommendation to the council. As matters stand ftt the present time the requests of deputations to the council are invariably sent by the council down to the committee concerned for report. If a deputation presents- its ■ case to the committee direct, a saving of time is effected in dealing with the matter, and the time of the council is also conserved at its meeting.. It is undoubtedly the proper and businesslike course to follow. Whfcn deputations whit upon committees the members of the Press are admitted, and the presentation of the deputation’s case invariably receives publicity in the Press more than if does when included amongst the many matters that tire dealt with at an ordinary council meeting. The council in deciding as it has is following Parliamentary proce- ■ dure. In Parliament all petitions and deputations are received, heard and reported on by the various committees; Parliament does not deal with the matter until the report or recommendation of the committee is presented to it. . • “At the last meeting of the council there would have been seven deputations had the-new rule not been in force. As the speakers on deputations are allowed 15 minutes in which to present their case, after which councillors have the privilege of asking questions of the deputation, 20 minutes is the average time taken up by each deputation so that had the council, at its last meeting,heard all of the deputations, the time would have been two hours 20 minutes; that is to say, it would have been starting its own order paper at 10.20 pjn. A® the council’s own order paper generally takes three hours, the meeting, with the short adjournment allowech would not have concluded until about 2 a.m. I am satis-. , Bed that the council took the proper course both from the interests of the deputations and in its own interest in deciding as it has. It is the businesslike procedure.”