HAD the Director of Leisure Services withdrawn all charges against York archivist Rita Freedman he would have earned the respect of all who care about justice (Evening Press, October 13).

By upholding the lesser charge of insubordination, Mr Croft hopes to appease colleagues, annoyed by her revelations, and at the same time placate residents outraged by her treatment.

It won't do.

Once upon a time officers took public consultation seriously. Today, it has become little more than a sham. Best Value, with its insistence on transparency and accountability ought to have remedied that. Yet we are told that since "no decisions have been taken" to remove York Archives to Heslington, it's no business of ours.

Decisions first, public consultation later! For all the trumpeting it looks as though Best Value is a new name for the old sham.

Rita Freedman was suspended, incredibly not for telling us of this, but for telling councillors. Why did they not know? Are there really aspects of council policy so confidential that even our elected representatives must be kept in the dark?

What then are the feelings of councillors about these secret goings-on? Not a word of disapproval from them! Why? Because protocol forbids them to criticise officers as freely as they criticise each other. Do all officers, you may wonder, merit this protection?

Obviously not. Nevertheless, our council has many fine officers, of whom Rita Freedman is, by reason of her expertise, devotion, integrity and courage an outstanding example. It would be an insult to them, as much as to her, for the people of York to accept anything less than her complete exoneration.

William Dixon Smith,

Welland Rise,

Acomb, York.