ARDLUSSA SETTLEMENT.

Mataura Ensign, 23 July 1915, Page 2

ARDLUSSA SETTLEMENT.

CONCERNING CORRESPONDENCE.

fer. .• t~-. A LIVELY DISCUSSION

The meeting of the Southland Land Hoard at Invercargill yesterday was oclillpicu lot' sonic tltilC in dismissing a motion, notice of which had heeii bv Mr .3. H. Middleton at lasv, meeting. tm follows; "That all the outward and inward correspondence relating to the recent reopening of the sections on Artllu tsa Settlement, be laid on the table of the Hoard, r .. The Commissioner (Mr (L H. At, McClure i said that as the mil tret was a question of dealing alll| rents and revaluations it had botlei' be i.'ensiderefl in committee, and ho moved a'cordinglv. AH- James King seconded the motion. Mr Middleton moved as an it mend- • ment, ‘'That the matter be dealt with in open Board.” The speaker stated that the matter had already been before I lie Board and. .should be dealt with ill open meeting. .. The Commissioner: \\ i ollglv. Mr Middleton: That is a blatter id opinion. The speaker stilled that he brought tlie matter forward at the last meeting when all the other hti'Siness was finished. The reason it should be taken ill open Hoard was because an important principle was involved, I he matter of rents or valuations liiltl nothing at all to do with his motion. AVhat (he asked) had become ol the recommendation oi' the. Board, why did (he Minister ignore it, and whose recommendation did he adopt? Mr C. Robertson seconded Ide amendment . Tim Go mm is,sinner pointed out that all correspondence with the Department was confidential hut it was open for any member of the Board to view, as also were the- minutes of Urn Board. ■He absolutely, refused to l.tare confidential correspondence with the Department read in open meeting. It was against (he rules, of the Department to do so. The correspondence dealt with figures relating to rents and valuations and was of a confidential nature. Tim public learned of these when they were fixed, , s Mr Fleming said the whole tides I ton was one of administration and tiieconduct of the Board, Apart from the rentals (here was nothing private in the matter. They all know that the reason Mr 'Middleton had moved ins amendment was because the recommendation of the Board bad been ignored and no reason had been given, if the business was going to be transacted like that, then it was lime members knew whore they were. Mr King rose to a point of order, slating that he thought the motion should ho put and the feeling taken whether the Board should go into committee or otherwise, Mr Fleming: Surely we have it right to express our opinions. Air Middleton also objected to discussion being stilled. Tim chairman said he had stated the position at the last meeting. He would [ike the members to view the correspondence, and they could do so in committee, but lie absolutely refused to produce it in open meeting. Being official correspondence with. the head of the Department, it was not policy to make it public,; The Act provided lor that. Probably Mr Middleton had not read thy section of the Act dealing: with the matter. It did not matter how the members voted, lie would not product' the correspondence in open meeting. Mr Middleton said he was not particularly concerned about the Act or the rentals, but ho did want the position defined—whether the officials oi the Hoard were going to run the business of the Hoard and the nominated and elected members be simply an echo of the Commissioner. He very strongly objected to being placed in any such position. The Commissioner objected to the officiats being brought into the matter. Mr. Fleming again pointed out that the business of flic 'Board wav a public matter, and if'the officials' were going to run the Board he -objected' to be a figurehead. "Mr .Middleton said the public was entiiled to know how the business was conducted. Air Fleming: The Alinislcv is advised by the Board, or at least he diould be. The Commissioner said the Loan I -■ valuation had been forwarded to the Minister. Mr Fleming: And yours was a counterblast? The Commissioner said it was a common thing upon all land boards for .the* Commissioner to send a confidential report to the Minister. The Board had not been stultified in any shape or form. Air Fleming; But wo arc ignored and that is what we object to. Mr Robertson said what members objected to was not the Minister’s power, but the fact that the.'members of the Board wore not informed of the Minister’* disagreement with their recom inundation. Had the members of the Board been tokl of this probably nothing more would have been said a-bout tt. The. same thing had happened in respect to the Duurobin Estate. lie know of one matt who left the district when he learned that the Board had decided to divide the estate into two purls. Had he known that it was going to be iii one part he would not have left. Neither--in’-this case nor will) Ardlussa were the members of the Board taken into the confidence of the Department. The Commissioner: Really, gentlemen, I would like you to view the correspondence, and if yon go into committee you can see it m five seconds. Mr Fleming said the Commissioner was one of those who visited Ardlusfcaand agreed to the valuation arrived at by the Board. The Commissioner said he agreed to it, hut he said that he did not think tlic Minister would do so. Mr Fleming; You told us at last meeting that this rental fixed by the Alinister was the one you recommended, The Commissioner: We were in committee then. Mr Fleming: 1 don’t think so. and it-is a public matter when recommendations of the Board are not accepted. The Chairman: The Board’s recommendation was scut on to the Minister. Mr Fleming; Then the Board’s recommendation was ignored and yours accepted; AVhat is the use of rneinb6rs visiting plates and making recommendations in all good faith if that sort of thing is going to continue? Continuing, the speaker said that if that was going to be so he fell inclined to send in his resignation. The Commissioner said he was sorry that -Mr Fleming should talk like that. If the Hoard decided to go into committee it could see all the correspondence. He would not produce it otherwise. -Mr Middleton said if that was the Commissioner's ruling the matter could not end' there. Mr Fleming; Wo are of no use here. Mr Alicldleton said it was all right when their opinions agreed with the Commissioners. The Commissioner: Oh, no. If we were in committee I would say something that 1 could not say* in Open meeting. Mr Fleming; What is tln* use of the Board passing resolutions if t-hey are to he ignored ? Mr Atiddleton : We should hare been advised when our recommendation wan ■not. accepted. The Commissioner; That was an oversight. 1 might have brought before the Board the price that the Minister fixed. Air Atiddleton said it was the duty of the Commissioner to have loyally supported the recommendations of the

Board, Cooing that ho agreed to them •at a special meeting at Core. . The amendment, to deal with tiro mutter in open meeting, was then put and carried by three votes to two.The Commissioner: Well, gentlemen, I am not going to produce the correspondence in open meeting. It ean be seen ill '''mimic too. Mr King; There is a deadlock. Mr Middleton, to the Commissioner: At last meeting 1 brought tip the matter when in open meeting and when all tlie other business was finished. Aon gait,' me permission to do so. as it was not on the order paper and now you want the matter dealt with in committee. Jin Fleming said at lhf last invcturg that the Commissione.i' had ruled that notice of motioir would have; to ho given, The Commissioner; As some oi the correspondence is from headquarters J refuse to have it read in open meeting. Continuing, the Commissioner said that his longue was tied. Mr IlobertsOn said dial had nothing to do with it at all. At the meeting at (lore they had had ihree diilerent opinions as to the valuations ami they all decided to fail in with the middle one. Mr Fleming said the real' pointy was the method of' conducting the business of the Hoard. The Commissioner at (Ids stage -nggesled that flic, Board should adjourn lor lunch, which was" agreed to. On resuming after lunch, the- Hoard went into committee to deal with other business and the 'correspondence was laid on the table and discussed.