COMMITTEES AND THE PRESS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 122, 9 May 1911, Page 4

COMMITTEES AND THE PRESS.

It is somewhat interesting to note : that on the Aapier Borough Council, Harbour Board and Hastings Borough Council action has been taken with regard lo the publica-, tion of the doings of committees set up by these bodies. The newly ! elected —or re-elected —members j apparently have awakened to the f fact that the public are entitled to more confidence and that the Press : should be admitted to the meetings which have hitherto been held behind closed doors. On Wednesday night last at the Napier Borough Council meeting, His Worship the Mayor and Cr. Niven moved reso-1 lutions in this direction while Mr. 1 Carnell has given notice to act■ similarly on the Haroour Board. ; bo far as the > apier Borough; Council is concerned the position ’ is not particularly plain as the; Mayor’s motion that the Works Committee be open to the Press and Cr. Niven's resolution that all. committee meetings be open to the ; public was, in part, defeated. We may take it, however, that Councilllors are realising that there is no necessity for doing so much work in camera. It must always be remembered that one Councillors

are doing public work. They are the honoured servants of the people and the people have

a right to know wdiat is going on. The clean lives and freedom from corruption which

characterises so strongly our public ; bodies is in the main attri- j butable to the openness with: which it is necessary to conduct ; transactions. Me do not wish to: imply that any of our local public; men would stoop to corrupt practices. but the fact that all meetings

' are open to the public causes them ; ito remember their utterances are; open to public criticism, and their; .facts and arguments must stand in-! I vestigation. There are, of course,, ; many trivial meetings which do j not warrant- the attendance of' 'either press or public, but if all i committees report to the open 'council it .serves the same purpose. Further. councils and other local I bodies are inclined to make an; labuse of the standing committees ■by shelving unpleasant or difficult tasks for settlement in easy, secret conference, and very often we find work which should be performed , by the whole council left to one or | two because the rest are either' lazy or desirous of not appearing too prominently in the matter. It is therefore apparent that local: bodies should rigidly adhere to a system whereby their work is done' openly and at the meetings ari ranged for the transaction of busi-i uess. The committee should only' be used for special work, and then ; only on rare occasions should work: be transacted in secrecy. There are, as we before admitted, times: when secrecy is advisable, but! otherwise there is no reason for disguise with the people. :