THE BOROUGH ENQUIRY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 9, 8 December 1926, Page 10

THE BOROUGH ENQUIRY.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Now that the Borough Council have held their enquiry into the system of handling the ratepayers’ money, and found that things were not as good as they thought, may I, as a ratepayer, be permitted to criticise. I attended both publio meetings and wiis considerably struck by the different tone at the meetings. 'The principal witness at the first meeting was very severely handled in examination, question after question being asked by the councillots. The witness at the next meeiing was treated very differently. It almost seemed that the councillors were afraid to ask questions lest they might stir up more trouble. It is a pity, for there was such a lot of little things that the public want explained, and the result of this silence on the councillors’ part is undermining the public estimation of the council. There were statements made by one person at the first meeting that were flatly contradicted by another person. Why were these matters not cleared up ? And the councillors who were so theatrically indignant at the first meeting over the non-attendance of an official were silent and tame at the next. The general impression is that the whole enquiry was a farce—solemnly enacted for the benefit of some delicate dignitaries. Sum it up logically we get this result: The staff had, according to the finding of the council, got lax. But who allowed this laxity to arise? Surely the council ig responsible for the conduct of the office. It may be possible that the council does not control the staff, but that things are the other way about. Perish the thought. Surely the councillors who hurled such denunciations at the heads of the poor jurymen would not quail before the staff. . . The result of the enquiry certainly justified the jury’s rider. Who excuses accuses himself, and the fact that such a contradictory resolution as Cr. Eliott’s was necessary proves that the jury were correct. That being so, will Crs. Hodgens and Eliott be courteous enough to withdraw their insulting remarks about the jury? As one of that jury I ask them to do so. They have found out that things are not what thev seemed, and it is up to them to withdraw such public statements.— I am, etc., j FLEC K.