COMMITTEE OR OPEN COUNCIL?

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 2646, 15 May 1923, Page 5

COMMITTEE OR OPEN COUNCIL?

MOKE PUBLICITY WANTED. CR. HODGEN'S HOMILY. An earnest plea not to get into the rut in which the preceding council had fallen in regard to the frequency of deliberating in committee, was made by Cr. J. Hodgens at last night's inaugural meeting of the Palnierston North Borough Council, following a motion by Cr. M. H. Oram, that the subject before the meeting—an opinion from the municipal solicitor in regard to convent rates—be taken in committee.

Cr. Hodgens: I sincerely hope that this council will not follow 1 precedents. Let us set out now from the first meeting and establish precedents. It Is so much easier to go down with the stream than to fight against it. We are each representing the ratepayers and should have nothing to hide.

The motion was then put to the oouncil, but opinion was equally divided, and the Mayor gave hi 3 casting in favour of the matter being taken in open council. The letter was then read. It gave the ruling that the Convent was exempt if it was used as a school. It was explained that such was the ca*fe and the council then decided to grant the usual remission of rates.