South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-12-25
CRITICISM OF STAR
CHAMBER ME- THODS
BRINGS OUT REPLY

public as in executive session. at the
council meeting Monday night. when
they appeared 20 protest against the
passage or the boulevard crossing or
dinance in its original form. was as
serted by Transportation Supt. Frank
/. Hardy. Wednesday.
In fact we would rather the pub
lie would know our reasons for OPP
posing that ordinance than not" he
said, and we believe the public
would IN the main agree with Us. 1t
would have meant $3.50 more stops
OF our cars per day, than is required
Of us at present. and that much more
loss Of time in delivering passengers
at their destination. AS il is the
'near-side stops have been limited TO
the principal crossings only. and we
are relieved OF having 10 stop at the
'far-side' also, in order 10 take on
passengers when there are any"
According 10 SGpr Hardy the G.
$. =. & y. I. is perfectly willing the
public should always know OF its re-
la3Ons with the city council and that
all matters before that body be dis
cussed open and above board. As the
ordinance now stands it will mean
approximately 1,400 more stops per
day than formerly. The traction peo-
pie had been considering stopping on
the near" as we'll as "far-side" at
Washington and Lafayette, due TO the
traffic there, without an ordinance,
and, says Mr.. Hardy, 'the whole mat
ter could have been agreed to without
an ordinance, had the park commits
sion taken it up with US"
This explanation comes as the re-
suit OF the attitude assumed by the
News-Times. both in it's news report
and editorial comment on the Mon
day night council session. The ap-
pearance Of the traction representa-
ell 4
ing into executive session, from which
the press and general public was
barred. There was no disposition on
the part OF the newspaper TO pre-
sumo anything wrong, or even to
disagree with the result attained, but
only TO cTiticise the secret process by
which IL was reached The news
paper men asked II they would be
permitted 10 attend the executive ses-
sion and told they could not
Pres. T. +. Howard, in a letter to
the News-Times Wednesday defends
the executive session" process for
purposes Of deliberation. and asserts
that the press should have been ad-
mitted at Monday nights meeting
The retiring president OF the council
accepts the NeWs-TimeS criticism as
a distinct challenge Of his admins
tration, and offers the following in re-
ply:
Judge Towards Letter.
Editor NeWs-Times:
To say that ] was astonished in
reading the leading editorial in the
News-Times for last evening is TO put
IL mildly. The editorial must have
been thought a pretty good one for
IL is repeated in this mornings issue.
| The epithet star chamber as an
/ piled to the deliberations OF the city
/ council. might pass in the heat and
! stress OF a political campaign. The
term midnight" might then be add
ed TO the epithet TO give it proper
color for partisan perusal- Midnight
star cham Der" sounds we'll and it is
dark enough TO satisfy the most vim
dictiNe taste. one could do even
better than this by calling the COM
mittee room provided in the city hall
n hole, hole in the corner"
would be still better. All that might
pass unchallenged in a passionate and
unreasoning contest for office and
power. But peace has followed the
storm We have arrived at a season
OF good will One may therefore be
pardOned for establishment that the
epithets OF the campaign should now
be revived. Are we To assume il to
be possible that any representatives
Of the public press have no proper
comprehension OF the nature and
functions of a deliberative body. 4
Jury sits and listens 10 the evidence
as IL comes from the witnesses, to the
arguments Of counsel on either side
and 10 the law as ii comes from the
court. Shall we insist also that the
public shall crowd into the jury room
and aid in the determination of the
verdict? Has Great Britain been
/ mistaken all these years in maintain
/ ing It's privy council? Should Pres.
/ Wilson throw open a. = doors of his
I cabinet meetings? Ought the senate
abolish It's executive sessions? Are
all legislative committee meetings
and caucuses bad as soon as they
heard all information and argument
and then close their doors TO enter
upon their deliberations? Is il not
rather true that no calm consideration
of any important question could be
had in the tumult of public discus
siOn2 The common council of this
city has never closed the doors of its
committee meetings until after all
persons having any thing to say have
had full and ample opportunity to
present every fact and make every
argument that could be brought be
fore the council on any and every
side OF any question that was up for
consideration. Must the council then
md there announce its decision before
10 has reached a decision itself ?
Surely this editorial has been written
W4,uuut cell. eratlVe thought or prop
er consideration.
ne NOAAAlAAAtE IkttAllAA w ldCl
Monday was a particularly unfortu-
nate illustration OF star chamber
tactics There was no hole in the
WALL. nor "oVer in the southeast cor
ner OF the building. The commit
tee room. on the contrary. was during
the whole session crowded with inter
ested spectators.
The incoming council will adopt
such course or procedure as they
think. and ! shall respect that judg-
ment whatever IL may be But 1
am inclined TO think they viii find il
wise 20 do in its committee meetings
as the last council has done. They
will welcome every item OF informa-
ton that comes 10 them. and they
will listen 10 every argument that
any one has 10 advance. And when
they come 70 pass Judgment as 10
what course OF action they shall fol-
low I'm the open council they Will
quietly and freely discuss the matters
with one another and try 10 reach a
sane conclusion as 10 what Is best