The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1911-02-04
Our Question Box

W e-e1
Such questions will be answered in this
column as apRertain in more or less de-
gree to the good and welfare of our read
ers. Questions strictly sectarian In nature
Or ultra political in character, will be either
consigned to the waste basket returned to
the Questioner, AZ a due sense Of propriety
may determine.
Question: When the minutes of the
last meeting are read by the record
ing secretary what action is allowable
to be taken by the members? What
question is then before the house? Is
it proper to amend the minutes at
this time by substitution, addition, or
elimination?
Answer When the secretary shall
have finished the reading of the min
utes of the proceeding meeting the
real question before the house, and
should be so stated by the chair is,
Are the minutes as read a correct
record of the proceedings of the meet
to which they refer?" If they are
they should be approved. If they are
not, it must be because of omission
or misstatement. The omission should
be supplied and the misstatement
corrected while the question of ap-
proving the minutes is before the
house. If the minutes as read con-
tain anything improper or defama-
tory such matter may, by vote of
the assembly, or by order Of the
chair If no objection is raised, be ex-
plunged before the minutes are ap-
proved. 1t is to be understood that
the society can take no legislative
action at this time upon any sub
ject matter referred to in the minutes.
If 1t is desired to reconsider any
action taken at the meeting to which
the minutes refer, motion to that
effect should be made under the head
of it's proper order of business. The
reason why the minutes are not read
at the conclusion of the meeting to
which they refer is because the Sc
cretary must have time to transcribe
the minutes at length from his notes.
Organizations learned from expert
ence at an early day that the secre-
tary must have more time to put his
minutes in form than can be afforded
him while the business of the meet
ing is being transacted, hence the
practice of reading the minutes of
one meeting at the commencement of
another. D. A. r..
Question: When an appeal is TAX
en- from the decision of the chair,
say, for declining to entertain a GER
tain motion, for instance, and the
decision of the chair is overruled by
the members, what action should be
then taken by the chair? G. III. b.
Answer The chair should accept
the situation gracefully, and immedi-
ately say: THE decision of the chair
is not sustained: the chair therefore,
recedes from his former ruling, and
the motion is declared to be in or
der" The business should then pro-
coed as If the chair had entertained
the motion in the first instance. We
have known of conceited selfopinion-
ed presiding officers to take the over
| ruling of their decision as a great
indignity, as personal result But
such resentment simply proved that
they did not have a clear comprehen-
sive grasp of the rights duties, and
privileges of their position. In con-
clusion, however, 1t may be said, that
| in case of doubt, or when the ques-
| ton is close, the better policy for the
! members is to sustain the ruling of
the chair.