SALE OF WAIPORI

Evening Star, Issue 20130, 21 March 1929, Page 2

SALE OF WAIPORI

THE GOVERNMENT’S OFFER PUBLICATION OF CORRESPONDENCE AND REPORTS CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSION In moving the adoption of the Electric Power and Lighting Committee's report Cr .Shaddock said that it .seemed difficult for the public to understand what had been done regarding the transfer of the Waipori headworks to tho Government. Cr Begg: “More than the public do not understand." Cr Shaeklock: “In consequence I propose to move that the correspondence to date ho handed over to tho Press for publication. Such a, course would bo quite on tho right lines, because it seemed there had been much misunderstanding.’’ Cr .Hayward seconded the motion, and said he was very pleased that Cr Shaeklock should see his way clear to give some information to the citizens and to the councillors at the same time. After the report of the committee had. been adopted the matte]' of tho Waipori negotiations was held over till later in the evening. When the matter came up again, Cr Shaddock moved that permission '‘be given by the council to publish the correspondence between the council and tho Government concerning the proposed sale of the headworks at Waipori to the Government. He said the object was to give everybody an opportunity of ascertaining the position as it stood. Ho admitted that the position was quite complex and required a considerable amount of thought. Questions that had been pul to him publicly and privately convinced him that as yet a large number of people did not understand what had been done, and for that reason he suggested that the correspondence and reports be handed to the Press for publication. C)' Campbell seconded the motion. Cr Mitchell said he doubled whether Cr Shaeklock would accomplish what ho was aiming at by the course ho proposed to adopt. Ho suggested that Cr Shackloclc should prepare a short report giving the main facts without all the details and submit it to tlie next meeting of the council. If the whole of the reports were handed to the Press the majority of the public would not read them and would take their opinions from the leading columns of the papers. He wa-. as anxious as Cr Shaeklock that the jmlike should, know the position, hut ho was sure that unless the matter was comicn-.ed and was put in a form that was easily understandable no good would be done. 'there were certain negotiations going on between the council and the Government, and ihey had reached only a certain stage. Ho thought that until they knew the views of the Government it might ho going too far to publish tho correspondence.

Cr Black mi id t lie position was a very awkward one from lilts council's point of view. Ho thought Hint the public had lioon treated shockingly. So iar as the comicillors Mere concerned, their hands wery tied. It the previous discussion had been taken in open council (heir views would have been known. He did not want lo prevent the public from getting intormation about the matter, hut if they know what was going on they would know more than ho did. It was not >o much a question of negotiations going on as of the Waipori works going on. A lot of people had asked him if the council had power to sell the Waipori works without the sanction of the ratepayers, and ho bad replied that he thought it bud the power, but he did not think it bad the .strength. He still said that unless they could get all the power they required at a price not exceeding the present price the citizens would not be in favour of sidling. .Me was in favour of the public getting knowledge about the matter in an intelligent manner, but it was a question whether the correspondence would make the position clear. (dr iiunro supported the motion because ho thought it was necessary. Ho was quite sure that some of the councillors had not read or understood the reports. The position was quite clear, and he did not see why the public should not get all the facts so far as the council had them. There was a great deal of misunderstanding in the city, and Cr Shnckloek would bo able to give an assurance that there was nothing sinister about the Government’s offer and nothing sinister about the Klectric Lighting and Power Committee. The whole thing was an honest endeavour to got over a difficulty in the city's electric- light supply. Ho vas quite sure_that if citizens got all the facts the misunderstanding would be allayed. Cr Scott said ho saw no reason why any councillor should vole against the fact being given to the Press. Sixty men had attended a meeting the other night, and he was sure that some of them did not understand the position after the chairman of the committee and the city electrical engineer had explained it for an hour. Cr Shacklock: Two hours I Cr Scott; “.Vo. You. spoke for an hour and did not make ii dear, and another hour was taken up with questions.” (Laughter.) lie was in favour of the public getting the whole of the information and then it would know what the committee knew. What was said originally was said io the three gentlemen who went to Wellington and not to the committee, and the committee gave leave fur the re gotiations te he continued. When the matter was brought before the council sanction was again given to a continuance of the negotiations so as to find out the position, Negotiations were pending now, and what the three men went to Wellington for had been lost sight of—that was the \o. d power station. He did not think Dial: those three gentlemen know very much more than any other three gentlemen might have known. Cr Bcgg .said it was very on fortunate that the act-ion now proposed Mas not taken at the commencement, but Cr Shaddock wanted them to treat the matter as_ confidential. The views of the council had not got abroad and were not- likely to get abroad if the present mode of procedure was . continued. Cr Shaddock had got into a quandary. The general public wanted to know what was going on, and it would know if it had a full report of the discussions going on at the council table. Some of the comicillors did not know what was going on. He liked the suggestion that Hie chairman' should .submit a report to the next meeting and let the council air-its views on the. subject. The public would then know who were against and who in favour

of the proposal, and the ratepayers would get considerable enlightenment. If the file were handed over, how many ratepayers would read it or understand Wilson said that at present it was merely a matter of negotiation, and the time had not arrived for disclosure. The public had shown a strong voice against tho sale of Waipori, and if the matter were put to it as a concrete question the answer would be verv simple. His opinion was that a good 'bit of cold feet had been shown over the whole question. fhe Deputy Mayor said he was sure that everv member of the committee would be strongly in favour of having ■i (Vee discussion by the council. He supported the suggestion made by Cr Mitchell. There were certain points which should not bo made public, and if the chairman of the committee had prepared a report for tho next meeting ami tho council had a discussion on the salient points that would be the best thing. Cr Shaeklock said he was entirely in the hands of the council, and the council should vote as it thought lit. The trouble about discussing the matter just'now was that negotiations had not really been entered into, for the committee only had authority to enter into negotiations. Cr Black had admitted be was in a queer position; d lie went on as lie was going lie certainly would be in a queer position. Eighteen months ago Cr Black had said tint they should buy power from Waitaici. and had suggested that they were in a quandary. Ns matter of faethose wlm are handling the matter are not in a quandary.” concluded Cr Shaeklock. Cr Black stated that it was Cr Begg who suggested they were in a quandary. , * . The motion was carried unanimously.