"NOT RECEIVED"

Evening Post, Issue 99, 24 October 1934, Page 4

"NOT RECEIVED"

ME. BEREY'S EEPOET

STATEMENT AND REPLY

Tho Eastbourne Borough Council, at I a special mooting recently refused to re!ceivo a rcx>ort oil transport from Councillor 'G. Y. Berry, because, it was j stated, Mr. Berry had discussed tlie report in an address to tho Eastbourne Ratepayers' Association prior to proj scnting it to the council. At tho last meeting oj! the council a notice of motion by Mr. Berry that tho council should rescind its decision not to roceivo his report was lost. Tho following statemont on the matter has been ! mado available to "The Post" by Mr. Berry:— "Tho attitudo adopted by the council towards me is a typical example of how in a small community the tittletattler can do harm, I did not mind receiving the censure, of councillors when I knew that I was genuinely acting in tho best interests of tho ratepayers, but surely tho -Mayor and councillors, having voiced their opinions, could have received my report and given me the opportunity of discussing it. I was surprised when I found that members of the council had been given lurid descriptions of- tho proceedings of an executive meeting. Tho chairman stated that everything said would bo strictly in committee and apparently someone has broken that bond. 1 feel sure that no one present at the meeting could say that I cast any slur on the present council, and I also fool confidont in saying that the informer or informers wero not present at the executive meeting and wero not entitled to pass on what took place at the meeting. As far as I am concerned personally I would havo no objection to any report of the meeting being circulated to the councillors provided it was first-hand information. Tho Mayor would have done a lot towards encouraging good feeling in tho council had ho consulted the chairman of the association and had his information confirmed or corrected. /Tho Mayor, of course,' knows that I do not support his direction of the Transport Board and finance committee, although as Mayor he has my loyal support, and I feel that he was only too pleased to givo the lead in putting mo into disfavour with the other councillors. "The arguments used that I had no right to address the ratepayers' executive because I was a special committoe and that I gave tliem the report as presented to the council wore quite wrong. I was not a member of a special committee, I was not asked by the council to bring down a report, and X did not give a report to the ratepayers executive, as I only .addressed them from notes'. The Ratepayers' Association, if they wish to serve the best interests of tho borough, and more directly their own interests, should have a thorough understanding of the financial commitments of the borough, and to assist them in that direction I had mado an offer to address tho executive of tho association many months previously. My address to tho executive had to cover most .'of tho matter which I afterwards included in my statement to tho council. My report to tho council did not cover tho ground I originally intended, as I considered that certain circumstances which aroso would force the council to alter its policy. "The time is long overdue, m my opinion, for a radical change in the transport service, and for a more frequent and cheaper service to be instituted. The borough caniiot stand the continued! losses, plus tho heavy ferry ' rates for the. restricted service given."'' Witli the ability that. is at present available -on the council, it. is a matter of groat concern to mo to see it not having tho opportunity of actively expressing itself for the good of the borough. The Eastbourno Council might well follow tho example of the Petone. Borough Council in this respect. / ' ... "As regards the expression of censure I feel that if I have aroused the executive ,<bf the Ratepayers' Association to take a more active interest in the finance's as expressed by the annual accounts, I would be willing to receive any amount of censuro that might come I to, me.".