CIVIC AMENITIES.

North Otago Times, Volume CIV, Issue 13786, 24 January 1917, Page 3

CIVIC AMENITIES.

(To the Editor of Th 0 Times.) ' Sir,—Your informative ■ leader on Saturday was duly.noted.aiul appreciated, and the. record ,of last, night's "Adjourned Council meeting" wis looked forward to with considerable interest by very many.who are ■waking up to the necessity for watchfulness in connection with civic affairs which may tend-to make or mar the progross of the borough, From your report this morning we only , receive deeper rooted conviction of the incapacity of the present regime, The attendance at the meeting you do not chronicle, Bind that is regretted. We should like to know who were present to enable us to distribute the ineptitude of the proceedings in due proportion. Tn such process the absentees would .fare no better in our assessment than ltio.se present. It was an "adjourned meeting. I '' The matter of the appointment of a lady required to "state salary required." The report of the Town Clerk re the office stall', whilst capable of criticism, may pass. The consideration of a report published it is assumed in detail is another, matter. The report of the advisory electrical engineer was public property. The meeting was not a special meeting, but an "adjourned meeting of the council," and should have been au "open meeting." deny it who can. Councillor Mitchell seems to have been responsiblc for the contravention of the law governing such matters, and consequently it is a fair inference that only now from his inspired pen shall we through his own paper be advised of the result of deliberations. There should be no need to labour the enormity of tlie offence of such tactics. A published pronouncement by au expert in connection with a matter of publh utility and of vital importance to the borough was to be by thf author of the report. Takea in fpen mectiug, as it should. have been, we should then have had on record question and answer elucidating the same, also the results. AVe should then have sensed what amount of intelligence, if any, individual councillors had brought to bear upon the subject, etc., etc. But what need to go on. Suffice it that in this latest procedure we have but another evidence of the lamentable incapacity, and perhaps worse, which at the moment leads and controls our municipal affairs, As an incentive to our bestirring ourselves the latest faux pas will serve, and it shall be passing strange if your advice is not taken seriously to heart and acted upon, Surely all who have the interests of the borough aJ[ heart will see to it that their names are duly enrolled before the -7th of March, that they may discharge the duty of citizenship and exercise their iulluence towards securing by the vote on the '-sth of April such representation as will ensure straight-out issues being met with intelligence and get rid of the "old men of the sea" tactics which at present prevail. The present "dog in the manger" and "hole in the corner" method of conducting the affairs of the borough is intolerable and will lead us into serious trouble if we don't look out.—l am, etc., BURGESS. Oamaru, January 2.i, 111 17.