OUR SECRET COUNCIL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18465, 2 August 1934, Page 11

OUR SECRET COUNCIL

(To the Editor of llu> Herald.) Sir,—lt is amazing how the principles of domination are insidiously creeping into tlie lives of New Zealand citizens. Our Borough Council is now. conducting public business on similar lines of dictatorship. Tne greatest secrecy is maintained in discussing subjects that affect the welfare of any group which is likely to be vitally interested in the measures dealt out to it. The words “in committee” are repeatedly uttered. This is apparently a secret code warning tho elected group to be silent. After the

electors are ignominiously removed, mysterious conferences take place. In this way the illusory omnipotence of the council is preserved. The council has overlooked the fact that it is not fighting against the ratepayers, but that it is representing them. As far as I can recollect, “in committee/’ business has been successfully objected to in tlie past, but our Borough Councils have an unhappy tendency to drop back into this form of procedure in order, perhaps, to hide any mistakes they may make. Their excuse, that the matters for discussion are private, does not hold good in most cases. It is an unfortunate fact that the ratepayers are more, prone to condemn than to praise, blit little real resentment would he aroused if the council would keep in the open, as it is their duty to do. ff they would show the grounds for their decisions it would often “clear the air” and also, give petitioners an opportunity to answer apparent objections to their' requests. I think i will be joined by most ratepayers in making this a strong protest and the members of the Borough Council would do us, and themselves, a favor by rectifying this high-handed and unfair procedure.—Yours, etc., T. G. JOHNS.