The Evening Star. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1901.

Evening Star, Issue 11657, 18 September 1901, Page 4

The Evening Star. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1901.

It is to be regretted, we think, that the City Council have recently Hole-and-corner adopted the practice of conDUcusslon. ducting many of their important discussions .in camera. It is recognised in all public bodies that there are times and occasions when it is necessary—where the character ai*d reputation of individuals are concerned, for instance—that discussion and investigation should take place under semi-private conditions. There are also discussions when, for business and other reasons, public matters should be referred to special committees to investigate in the first instance and report upon. This latter principle is fully recognised by the Council when annually setting up special committees, to whom are referred all matters affectingparticular departments of the municipal business. Protected with committees such as those mentioned, the occasions are ex-

tremely rare and of a very unusual and extraordinary nature when tiie Council find themselves compelled to resolve into a " committee of the whole " for the purpose of closing their doors to tbe public and the Press. Such an occasion as those referred to did not arise, we think, at the Council'B last meeting, when our Civic Fathers resolved themselves into committee to consider matters affecting the holding of a dual appointment by the general manager of the tramways and the reported circumstances that the city tramway offices were being used for holding meetings and the transaction of business of a private tramway company and the liquidation of the company from whom the Corporation bought their tramway system. Before going in. to committee on that evening important correspondence bearing on these matters was referred to in open Council, and we are strongly of opinion that that correspondence should either have been read in open Council or been handed to the Press for publication. Such a course would have been fair not only to the tramway manager himself, but to the citizens, to whom the tramways belong." As matters now stand, the air is full of vague and indefinite rumors as to the reason that induced the Council to pass the resolutions that were reported to and adopted by the Council when the reporters were again admitted. Those resolutions were : (1) "That Mr Eun- -" son. be informed by letter that bis duties

"as general manager are confined solely "to the management of the Corporation " trams from date" ; and (2) " That it be "an instruction to the Tramways Oonv. "mittee to consider the desirability of removing the tranrway offices and staff to "the Corporation buildings." The first of these resolutions endorses the fact (which is now well known) that the tramways manager, notwithstanding that he draws £6OO a year from ihe City's funds,'is also acting as manager of a private tramway company, the fair presumption being that he is likewise drawing a salary from or being feed by this company for services rendered to them. We r.re not aware what are the exact terms of Mr Eunson's engagement by the City Council—whether he is engaged for one year only, as was stated hy the late Mayor, or whether, as has been asserted outside, he holds any communication in the nature of a contract or engagement for a term of years—or if it permits him to accept other employment than that of the sole management of the city trams. If it does, we have no hesitation in saying that the majority of the councillors and the public wero greatly misled when the appointment was made, as it was freely stated at the time that the manager would require to give up his other remunerative appointments in order to accept service under the Corporation; and it was this argument that reconciled some councillors and a section of the public to the payment of £6OO per annum for the future management and oversight of our trams. If, on the other hand, the terms of Mr Eunson's engagement with the Corporation do not permit him to accept other employment, then the public are entitled to know the reason why the Council contented themselves with the mild resolution instructing him to give up such employment, without expressing their disapproval of any officer in their employ acting on behalf of a private company without first obtaining special pennission from the Corporation. The second resolution—that referring to the removal of the tramway offices to the City Council building—leaves it an open question as to whether the city tramway offices have or have not been used for the conduct of business other than that belonging to the Corporation. That, wo take it, is a most unsatisfactory position in which to leave the matter, and the public the owners of the tramways, the people out of whose pockets must come any losses that are incurred owing to mismanagement or other causes—are entitled to fuller information. That information, we feel confident, can only be satisfactorily given by the immediate publication of all the correspondence upon the subject in the Council's possession, and* the point blank refusal cf councillors .at future meetings to become parties to- a conspiracy of silence in order to protect a" few individuals, while at the same time information to which the public arc by right entitled is svstematicallv held back.

A outbreak of diphtheria is reported from Lyttelton. Mr Justice Williams leaves Dunedin ou the Ist October for Wangamii, there to sit with the Chief Justice on the 7th to hear the Patea election petition. Tho parliamentary correspondent of our Mosgiel contempova'rv is authority for the statement that a short Licensing Bill will be introduced this session, with the object of dealing with a few glaring inequalities of the present law. Our Tapanui correspondent wires that it has been exceedingly windy since Sunday, and that there have been continual arctic storms, which have kiKed the lambs and weak sheep wholesale. There is quite a boom in the cattle trade. At a meeting of the subscribers to the Colonel Robin sword of honor fund held yesterday afternoon, it was decided to immediately order a sword from London, and on Wednesday next to invite Colonel Robin to the Town Hall, where he will be presented with a purse of sovereigns. The case of Mackenzie v. the Waimumu Queen Dredging Company occupied the attention of tho Supreme Court again this morning. J. Mutch, W. F. Browne, A. M'Gibbon, C. H. Osmond, and J. A. S:mpson were examined, and Mr W. C. Mac(Tregor then ob'ained an adjournment to the 25th inst. in order to procure the attendance of Samuel Denniston as a witness, tho company being ordered to pay the costs of the adjournment. Tho weekiv meeting of the Benevolent Trustees, held this afternoon, was attended by Messrs P. Treseder (acting chairman), R. M. Clark, W. Burnett, and R, Wilson. The secretary reported that four deaths had occurred in the Institution during the we k—Johanna Fraser, Henry Burns, Peter Gibb, and George Thos. Jackson, the two last-named being seventy-one years of ace. Accounts for the week, amounting to £lO5 0s Id, were passed for payment. The cost for the month of August was given as £361 5s Bd, and the number of inmates at the end of the month as 275, showing an average weekly cost of 5s lid per head. Leave of absence for another month was granted to Mr C. Haynes, the mover regretting that it ehould be necessary. Thirty-four cases of relief were dealt with. There died in Nelson Hospital on the 13th inst. a man who figured very prominently in the Maori War. The late Captain Morris Levy had an adventurous career. He was once well known as the owner and master of New Zealand coasting vessels, and'he had also been a soldier. He was especially associated with the defence of Onotiki at the time of the murder of the Rev. Mr Volkner, and owes his safety to the fact that he was a Jew, the Hauhaus having a veneration for members of that ancrnt faith. He and his wife came to Nelson in the fifties, and he resided there up to the time of )vs death. Captain Levy leaves a laree familv. Of his three sons, one is in New South Wales, another in Fremantle (W.A.), and a thirH at Palmer ton North. Of the daughters, one is Mrs Cohen (of Svdney), a second Mrs SteninboTim (Fremantle.' W.A.), a third Mrs Mart'n (of Nelson), a. fourth Mrs Abrahams (of Palmerston North), and a fifth is ■unmarried. The attention of Freemasons is directed to lodge notices in this issue. The annual meeting of the Otago Anglers' Association will bo held to-morrow evening Don't miss Laidlaw and Gray's great sale of Ritchie's stock, now on. Great bargains.—[Advt.] Mr Henry Sulley will deliver a fifth lecture in the Agricultural Hall on Sunday evening. Everyone interested in artistic house decoration should inspect the metal ceilings and wall coverings at Briscoe's.—TAdvt.] The annual general meeting of the Otago Cricket Association will be held in Wain's Hotel on Saturday evening, 21st inst. Judging by the many stylish head-dresses seen amongst the audience at 'Faust,' Mr Hendy, hairdresser, must have booked a number of appointments.—[Advt.] Tho Otago Coachworkors and Wheelwrights' Union hold their annual general meeting in the Trades Hall on Thursday evening. . Mr Morris, photographer, Princes street, Dunedin, finds it is not generally known that his charge is one guinea per dozen for cabinet portraits of children. Any extra charges are for vignettes, groups, largo mounts, also the various methods of printing.—[Advt.] The examinations in connection with the University of New Zealand will commence on Tuesday, 10th December. Notice must be sent to the registrar at Wellington before October 23. M'Donald Bros., tweed merchants, Manse street (next Valentine, auctioneer), have just opened a large stock of tweeds, overcoats shirts, etc. ,A single suit length at wholesale price. Mr John M'Donald (lato merchant tailor, of George and Princes streets), solo manager.—[Advt.] .Frank Hyama, of 1* Princes street, has come forward with a new departure in order to clear the balance of his stock with as little delay as possible. It consists of a 20s and 40s window display. Au inspection of these windows is necessary to understand the marvellous bargains offered.—[Adrt.]

The circulating library in connection with the Dunedin Athenaeum will be closed tomorrow and on Friday in order s to admit of alterations being made to the building. The reading room will remain open on both days as usual. x