“BURKED” AND “HIDDEN”

Evening Star, Issue 20292, 28 September 1929, Page 4

“BURKED” AND “HIDDEN”

LETTER TO HARBOUR BOARD TWO MEMBERS MAKE THREATS HEATED ARGUMENT OVER ORDER PAPER With some of the old-time fierceness the Harbour Board indulged in a hectic argument last night. Allegations of a letter being ■‘burked” and “hidden” and the board being “ bulldozed,” and challenges of i neons is*> ncy of methods adopted by two members when sitting as chairman and ordinary members, were flung across the table with not a little heat and acerbity. The pivot of the wrangle was the omission from the agenda paper of any mention of the board having received a request from the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce for a conference between tho board and chamber on questions affecting the harbour and its control. The chairman (Mr Walter Gow) early ruled that the letter should not be read, and he prevailed, although both opposition protagonists (Messrs John Loudon and J. M‘C. Dickson) threatened to obtain a eopy of tho request and the hoard’s decision and publish them. When the board reached the consideration of tho Standing Committee’s recommendation to donate a sum of £5 5s to the Y.W.C.A., Mr J- M‘C. Dickson said that at tho last meeting of the committee a letter was read from the Chamber of Commerce asking for a conference between the board and the chamber. A good deal of discussion took place in regard to the request, and the board was divided on tho question whether tho conference would he held. “Why is there no reference on the order paper of this letter, so that the matter may he discussed by the hoard?” asked Mr’ Dickson. ?“ The Standing Committee has no right to deal with these letters without, referring them to the board. • I want to know why no mention is made of the letter on the agenda paper.” “IN COMMITTEE.” The Chairman (Mr W. Gow): That was to have been kept in committee. Mr Dickson: You cannot keep an.y business of the Harbour Board entirely in committee. Tbo whole of the correspondence should be placed before the hoard. Mr Larnach: Surely the question could be discussed later. We are now on a question of a donation. Mr Loudon: It is a question of correspondence. “But only one question in particular.” reohed Mr Larnach. Mr Dickson moved that the correspondence be read to the_ board. “ Every letter concerning tho board shou’d be read before the board.” said Mr Loudon, who seconded the motion. “Every letter addressed to the board should be read to the board. There is •m question about that.” Mr Dickson said he protested against >, being left to the board to say whether the letter was to bo kept in committee or not. 'When a letter, addressed to the board was consid°red in committee. it was undoubtedly the right of any member of the board to demand’that the letter should be read at the meeting of the board. Mr H. M Driver: The committee made a recommendation. Mr Loudon: Tt does not matter about be recommendation. Mr Larnach said a letter was sent to Ti 0 Chamber of Commerce setting out •bat the board intended to do. Mr Loudon: You miss the point. If letter is sent to tbo board it should ‘m rend to the board. THE SECRETARY’S POSTTiCN.

Air Gow: The letter was sent to the ccretarv of the board. Mr Loudon: Tho secretary is the ioard. “ I wish he were sometimes,” remarked Mr Larnach. The Chairman: Well, I will call for a how of hands on tho motion “ I refuse to allow any letter received ay the board to be burked or hidden,” -\id Mr Loudon. Air Gow: If you sit down I will put he motion. Air Loudon resumed his scat, but Ir Dickson rose. “I want to protest,” he said. 1 The board has no right to hurk a question from a responsible body, and I protest Against this ! hole and corner ’ business being carried out. I certainly won’t vote on the matter, but I protest against the method adopted.” Air Larnach: I protest against the •xpression “burk.” Mr Gow; Well, 1 will put “Is the board to be governed by the •hairman and the secretary or by the hoard?” suddenly asked Mr Loudon. Air Gow: I am asking the member? if the board now to govern the business. All in favour? Neither Air Loudon nor Air Dickson voted. “ Are yon not going to vote. Air Dickson, ‘in favour of your own motion?” asked the chairman. Air Dickson; No. I demand that the letter be road before the board._ “ All in favour of the motion hold up their right hands,” called the chairman. but there was no response. “Those against?” and Messrs Begg, Larnach, Sharp, and Driver voted. The motion was declared lost. Air Larnach: I want to point out that some of tho members did not vote, yet remained in their chairs. , Mr T. Scollay explained that he did not vote because the business was not in order. The long-established practice was that the board should read all correspondence other than objectionable letters. The chairman.was out of order in putting a motion whether cr not the correspondence should be read. Mr W. G. Love said he took up the ■lame attitude. STRANGE PROCEDURE.

Mr H. E. Moller said the same procedure was adopted by the City Council. and was followed out by both Messrs Dickson and Loudon when they were chairmen of the board. Their present action appeared to be strange. Personally) he would have liked to have seen the board adopt the chamber’s suggestion, but Messrs Dickson and Loudon seemed to have different methods when in and out of the board’s chair ‘ ‘ You have adopted the correct procedure. Mr Chairman,” said Mr Moller. “ All the business done in Standing Committee does not come before the board. It never lias, and 1 challenge Mr Dickson and Mr Loudon to say it has.” “ I take up the challenge,” announced Mr Loudon. “ I never refused, when chairman of the board, to have every letter demanded read to the 'card.” Mr Sharpe: In open board? Mr Loudon: Yes. “ Never once was I instrumental in any way whatever in refusing to allow letters first read before the Standing Committee to be read in open board,” said Mr Dickson, indignantly. “ Mr Moller refers to what is being done by the City Council. That is entirely different. No business goes before the committee unless it goes before the Citv Council.” Messrs Larnach and Begg: You are wrong—quite wrong. Mr Dickson; I don’t know’ how far the secretary is in it, as the letter

•lows act nppmr oc the order paper, if you as chairman, are responsible for tho .omimtou* i think you are entirely wrong. , “ Will you snow mo* the section of tho standing orders tnnt ever letter must bo produced?” asked Mr Gow. Mr Dickson: if you rook up the minutes of tho Standing Committee you will see that a dsoision was reached, on Mr Loudon’s motion, that all letters be read , Mr Gow: Tho motion is carried, and the letter from the chamber will not come before the board unless in committee. COPIES DEMANDED. Mr Loudon: 1 suppose 1 will bo allowed to get a copy of tho letter and publish it. Mr Gow: No; you may have tho right to get a copy, but not to publish it.

Mr W. Begg rose to a point of order, but Mr Dickson argued that it was open to members to discuss any part of the order paper. Mr Begg: Quite so, but only when the business conies along. In Standing Committee we spent considerable time discussing this matter, and the whole of the members now present attended the meeting. Why reopen it? If, any member takes exception to tho donation, he. is justified in moving an amendment to the report- I can quite see the points raised by Messrs Dickson and Loudon, but whether tho omission has been on tho part of the clerk drawing up the order paper I am not prepared to say. If there was a clause reporting the reception of cor respoudence from tho Chamber of Commerce, tho whole difficulty would bo overcome. “ Well, I will go on to thb next business,” said Mr Gow. Mr Dickson said it would not bo necessary to get a copy of the letter trom tho Harbour Board. It could be obtained from the chamber. Mr Larnach rose to a point of order. Tho board had now passed to tho question of the donation. Mr Loudon: 1 am entitled to get a copy of the letter, and 1 shall come down to the office. Mr Gow: You are entitled to read it, but not to copy it. “ I will publish it and lake the risk,” threatened Mr Loudon. The Chairman: I will have no more discussion on the subject. Mr London: The discussion is wrong. Mr Dickson; We have . been bulldozed. “I suppose 1 can get the letter?” persisted Mr LoudonMr Gow ruled that no member should publish documen ts or their contents without tho consent of tho board. “ Wo will get a copy from the Chamber of Commerce,” stated Messrs Louden and Dickson. Mr Gow: It won’t do any harm to publish it. Mr Dickson; But you are trying ho stop it. That was the end of the argument, the chairman’s ruling prevailing. POSITION CLARIFIED STATEMENT BY MR GOW. A statement by Mr Gow to-day in reply to a question by the ‘ Star ’ clarifies the position. “ Tho decision reached by the Standing Committee was to receive the deputation,” said Mr Gow. “It was considered by the committee, with the exception of two malcontents, that nothing should be said about it. A letter was received from the Chamber intimating that it was ready to put its views before us, and the board decided to reply that it would receive the deputation. “ The eventual results of the deputa’aion will be made public, but while the subject is in the nature of merely receiving the deputation without anything being done, why should the thing he dragged before the public?”