THE HARBOUR BOARD AND COMMITTEES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9481, 10 April 1894, Page 4

THE HARBOUR BOARD AND COMMITTEES.

Mr. Witheford has given notice of motion for the meeting of the Harbor Board to-day, "That the meetings of committees of the Board be open to the press." In this Mr. Witheford asks for

bat is undoubtedly a novelty . b«f X think, good reason can Ho g 'h n »J to Efforts are being made at home puA ve a J «>»*"*» meetings 0 RtS,.k understand tnat, ia itmnvTn* iS? IoJl oJ the c ° nd «ct is brou*F? J thafc ? when a subiect when it'iSjniT Sovernment, and exa m inatiofc^ e *** necessarv in' ™ o J ect . obtain the rar™eeti„g„fK o tVa P „2\he„ g Z subject is bv allti n the bers. That fij£' tWv .W" right enough. JuttsU'tind that, as a mati ro £. practice £ system of rem>i n „ t o commit* is attended with&ere £ te ingsof the body open to the pubic. No business, cant conducted With ■ «teed doors. TIK has been enforcedl 'order that all that a public body do,, and the reason which guide it, to v decision, may b known, so that as ftr as possible it sha be secured , a t the members shall be actuated y public motives only m the course % may take. But it has been found tat the committee system has been rescted to in order to defeat the object of he law hi makiiw the meetings open: A subject is re nutted to a commitee, and there im proper motives con* into play. That committee is got t make a recoro mendation, for whih 'the members could not give goodreasons. It may be said that any melber of a board is at liberty when a ecrimittee report is brought up, to object and to force on a full discussion of tie whole subject. That is so, but suoha course lias its difficulties. It has brae to be considered a matter of curtesy in a public body not to oppose tie report of a committee, nor even to firce a disclosure of the reasons which havi actuated it, unless these are disclosed in the report, which seldom occurs. Am then, any member wishing to have the whole subject canvassed from the beginning, finds that he has opposed to hin a compact body in the members of tie committee who have had the subject under their private consideration, aid who have beeu brought to an agreement upon it. It may be said that tbre are many subjects canvassed by committees of public bodies respecting wiich a committee should have more literty ef examination and discussion tlan they can have when met in public vitb reporters present. There can be to desire to curtail the latitude accordd to committees. The press have their own responsibilities, and such meetings are in no way protected. The syst<m of practically doing all business ii committees has grown up and exterded, until the intention of the law am the sentiment of the public have been in great measure defeated. We are eoivinced that if the committees of public bodies were open to the press the busimss would be more efficiently conducted ii every way.