LET THERE BE LIGHT.

Waikato Times, Volume 117, Issue 19599, 11 June 1935, Page 7

LET THERE BE LIGHT.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —A month ago we were in the campaign for the election of our municipal bodies. One of the points raised was that of the objection to the ■closed council meeting. The returns produced the old council and the sitting Mayor. .At the Ill'st meeting of the new body the Mayor and councillors agreed to a continuation of this old policy.

Reading a speech of the late President Wilson I carno across the following passage: “What are the right methods of polities? Why, the right methods are these of public discussion, the methods of leadership, open and above-board, not closeted with ‘Boards of Guardians’ or anybody else, but brought out under the sky, where honest eyes can look upon them and honest eyes can judge them. If there Is nothing to conceal, then why conceal It? It is a public game. Why play it in private? If it is a publio game, then why not come out into the open and play it in publio? You have got to cure diseased politics as we now cure tuberculosis, by making all the people who suffer from it live out of doors. The very fact that so much in politics is done in the dark, behind dosed doors, promotes suspicion. Everybody knows that corruption thrives in secret places and avoids publio places, and we believe it a fair presumption that secrecy mi as impropriety. So I say our honest politicians and our honourable corporation heads owe it to their reputations to bring, their activities out into the open.” • We can substitute municipal affairs for politicsdn the above quotation and we have read of Inquiries into certain matters, , notably , armaments, In the United States of America, and it is not good reading. In the late mayorai contest more votes were cast for an open council than for the "General Purposes Committee" council, but it would be advisable for our city fathers to give heed to what the late President Wilson said and apply it to our local conditions. —I am, etc.,

AN ELECTOR Hamilton, June 8, 1335.