THE RIGHT OF CRITICISM.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17169, 12 October 1923, Page 6

THE RIGHT OF CRITICISM.

'flic right of a city councillor to criticise an officer of the Council lias been denied by the Mayor of Dunedin, arid his view lias been endorsed in the unanimous vote of censure passed on the councillor who had the temerity to defy all local precedent on the subject. With the domestic aspect of the case we arc not concerned, hut it is conceivable that a member of any local body in New Zealand might feel constrained to criticise an employee or officer of that body, and therefore the Dunedin ruling becomes of general public interest. We think the Mayor of Dunedin gave a mistaken ruling, for it is not only the right hut also the duty of a representative of the public to express his views unmistakably on alt matters of public interest, including the efficiency of officers under his control. It is not customary to criticise any officer in open council, and in this respect Councillor McManus may have laid himself open to criticism. If the incident had happened in Christchurch, however, the Mayor would probably have deprecated il mildly, or suggested a discussion in committee, which is the usual course to pursue; arid in that case the newspapers, very likely, would have taken no notice of the initial remark. But it is obvious that for the good government of any city there must he no stifling of honest criticism on any subject. It is only fair to say, however, that where officers are concerned any open criticism should he resorted to only when the opportunity is lacking for a proper preliminary discussion of the matter in camera.