The Otautau Standard AND WALLACE COUNTY CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 3rd, 1905. REPORTING PUBLIC MEETINGS.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 23, 3 October 1905, Page 2

The Otautau Standard AND WALLACE COUNTY CHRONICLE Tuesday, October 3rd, 1905. REPORTING PUBLIC MEETINGS.

As unusual position has arisen m Winton over the reporting of the Borough Counoil meering? f andjone whioh gives rise|to the whole question of reporting public meetings. We take it that when a man is engaged upon his ] own private affairs, he is entitled to all the protection attached to a full acknowledgement of private sanctity, and any reports dealing with his action would be a gross infringement of the laws][protecting the liberty of the subject. When a man, however, enters upon public life, and takes up a publio position, the case is entirely altered; his actions and sayings, while engaged upon publio affairs, are rightly subject to the criticism of the public he serves. Immediately a man enters | the arena of publio life, he must be prepared while carrying out the duties attached to his office, to largely consider his private individuality as^non-exiatent, and be ready, if he does not wish to appear ridiculous, to accept report and criticism 'fit his speeches and doings m the spirit m whioh they are given. A man entering "such a position Is expected to school himself to bring his conduct into such line as will command the respect and esteem of the publio. If, at times, he allows any narrow-minded pettishness or individual bigotry to mould or sway his actions, he must ba prepared to accept the responsibility of his conduct. The full position is very readily recognised by the press of the colony, and it is seldom that conflict arises. For some considerable time it has been the practice of the reporter and proprietor, of the Winton Eecord to publish m extenso the meetings of the Winton Borough Council, and giving to the public almost a copy of the speeches m ade by councillors m meeting assembled. In doing this the proprietor has been following what every ratepayer is entitled to. enjoy himself if he cares to attend the m-.etings, it being one of theprivileges of ratepayers that they can at all times go m to a meeting of a Town Council.- At a recent meeting of the Winton Borough Council it appears some confusion arose over the seating accommodation of members and one member acted m such a way as to, when reported literally, appear somewhat ridiculous. The Winton Record, as had been its practice, reported the matter apparently as it actually happened and the councillor appears to have had his dignity touched. A sequel to the event is that tbe council have passed a resolution that their business is to be conducted m committee and the Winton Record reporter is to. be excluded from attendance. •; Whether the publio will permit this state of affairs to be confirmed or hot, remains to be seen. It appears to us the Council have ' taken up au impossible position, not m keeping with the dignity of such a body, tb^fc m allowing the report of what appears to have, been an injudicious procedure on tbe p.irt of one of its members to unduly sway it as a. public body, they are laying tbernselvts open to ridicule rather than consideration. The question opened up is a very wide oae, ; and resolves itself info whether the public are to have reported to them only what members wish, or whether they are entitled to have the actual sayiugs and actions of their representatives recounted to them. We believe that m any community where public life is at all m a healthy state full detail 'and Jrejorts of. meetings are looked forward to and read with interest and are what is expeoted and en-

joyed.