KNOWLEDGE AND UNKNOWN

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 163, 10 July 1914, Page 7

KNOWLEDGE AND UNKNOWN

! COUNSEL AITD PROFESSOR. , AX AMUSING EXCOrXTER. (By Trtecraph— Own Correspondent.) this day. Durinp the hea-rinp of the libel case Fairbain v. Daily Times," in the K-ipreme Court yesterday, there wae an entertaining little paiva?e between Mr. McKre.jior (counsel for llie defenw), and j JJi-. llijrht (profeswor of economics at Canterbury College). The professor was :i member of the Cost nf Living Cominie*<ir>i). The dialogue ran as follows: — Mr M«G retro r: You know that Mr John Ro.~- resigned hiis seat on ttie commisFinn. and did not actually attend any eittinjHO J)r. llijrht: 1 believe that is so. Mr. MeOrejror: But surely you know. Have you the ollioial report? it is too much to ask if you have read t'lie whole of it. fir. Ilia-lit: 1 have peen it. Mr. Mcitrepor: It i-ets out very clearly that Mr. Rose resigned before the nittiiiir? commenced ? Hr. lliirht: That is the bapis nf my belief. Mr. McGregor: But surely you ran go further than that? Dr. Hijjlit (solemnly i :As a student of history and economics. 1 must be t-areful to distinguish laitween knowledge and belief. I did not t-ee Mr. Kos.-; in the act of resifrninj.'. (The court smilivi.) Mr. Mt-lirrgnr: If ne have these philosophical discussions wo will be here nil nijrht. Mr. Ro-s resigned because of the constitution of the . i.nnni^ion? Dr. Ilisrlit: I tin not know what was in Mr. Rings' mind. Here followed an interlude filled other questions, and then Mr. McGregor returned to t'ne subjeel. "Mr. 7!oss was appointed to the com-midr-ion because he was a commercial man in busine-s in a liicr way:" , J>r. lliplit: J do not know tho antecedent history of Mr. K.iss. Mr. M.-(,-re K or (with a smilei: But you heard Sir .lolm Findlay make ihat statement in his addrpne? Br. Wight (unmoved): 1 did. Mr. McGre ? or. i With a broader -mile., It did not increase mv knowledge. The seen* closed with Mr. MeOejrnr resuming hie seat, as the court laujrhod. The Fairl.airn'Tinie-" lihel action was continued to-dny. when plaintiffs erw»examination eonchitlrrl. He stated that he knew before ifoiiijr on the Commission that the Merchants' Association raised pri.-e* nr kept prices from fjllinj? with reference to the commodities it. controlled. He said t.hat the other Commissioner was not swaypd by him. Mr Mi-Grci'or that, with the exception of Messrs. Hipht and Fairbairn. jno one was qualified to art on the Com- | mission. I Openini the defence. Mr Mc(Jre2or s:\id I the newspaper w.is never piven an opportunity to apolofn*e, and action ua.» dolaved until defendants' chief witnes-es were out of the Dominion. Evidence h.ml hern left out of the nflieiiil report, and he would show ihnt Mr Fairiiairn di.l "prind hi- own axe" The comment wae therefore fair.