UNSATISFACTORY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8482, 17 July 1913, Page 10

UNSATISFACTORY

COUNCIL COMMITTEES THEIR ELECTION PASSED UNDER REVIEW. After waiting for a considerable time. Councillor E. Tregear had an opportunity at a special meeting of the City Council on Tuesday of bringing forward bis notice of motion dealing with the election of council committees. The motion, notice of which was given immedately after the installation of the new Mayor, and the election of committees early in May, was— That the resolution passed by the council on the 7th instant purporting to set up a tramway committee, an abattoirs and puKio health committee, and a public gardens, reserves and baths committee, be rescinded.

Councillor Tregear’s contention was that new committees should be set up after each election, instead of the old committees remaining in office. Au that had been done this year was to fill up a few vacancies which had occurred in certain committees, and even this matter was practically settled by a permanent officer of the council; The whole system under which committees were set up should be thoroughly revised. It was quite tvrong for committees to be continuous, and the council itself, of its own volition, shonld have the right to say which men should sit on each. Councillor Hindmarsh seconded the motion pro forma. The Mayor .had treated the committees as standing, and had only proposed the addition of certain names to fill up vacancies, though in this he had perhaps made a mistake. The committees shonld now be allowed to stand,/but it was a good thing to have drawn attention to the position. . • Councillor Bnddle said that the committees were set up in a perfectly regular way. but the method was not at all satisfactory. Councillor Luckie also urged that the method of setting > up committees was capable of much improvement. The Mayor said that Councillor Tregear had been perfectly right up to a certain point. He admitted that after the second or third nomination had been made he found he had fallen into a mistake, and ho had been careful to put the matter right by calling out each name in order and moving that thov be elected. If any excuse were needed, he would point out that the election of the committees had been a matter of some urgency. Ho agreed that the system of election was not at all a good one. . The motion was lost on the voices, and Councillor Tregear withdrew the other motion standing in bis name. This sought the rescission o| the resolution confirming the council minute which referred to the election cf the committees named.