"NO WRANGLING."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 68, 22 March 1937, Page 9

"NO WRANGLING."

TRANSPORT BOARD. MEMBERS REFUTE CHARGE. rnriiEHED comment RESENTED. A denial that there had been wrangling among members was 4 given by several menvbere of the Auckland Transport Board at a meeting of ' the- board today, when the Hon. F. K. Lark, M.L.C. r , expressed resentment . concerning an article relating to the board's, affaire which-had appeared in a recent issue of a weekly paper published in Auckland. Mr. Lark described the article as scurrilous and pointed out that it had related to matters of importance which had been considered in committee. He had had seven copies of the paper sent to him. It contained an article which I reflected on .the chairman, the Hon. H. O. R. Mason, and on Mr. J. Sayegh and himself, and concerned the dismissal of an employee. Mr. Lark thought the attention of the Press should be drawn to the fact that when matters were discussed in committee it was unfair to j make derogatory statements. He did j not mind how much the board was criticised, but one suggestion made was that there had been a wrangle among certain •members of the board. He did not think I that had occurred, and further he thought the chairman was absent from j the meeting -referred to.

Mr. Mason said that if the report wne so inaccurate .as. to profess to attribute statements to him when he was not present, he would- , imagine that it was the work of some irresponsible and 'disgruntled person. "I don't see how the board need concern itself with such a matter," he added. ' Mr. Sayegh.said that he and the chairman ha.d never had a wrangle, and certainly not on the occasion alluded to.

A former chairman of the board, Mr. J. A. C. Allum, said he had no recollection of .'wrangling .amongst members of* the board. "There have been differences of opinion," he- said, "but it is to the credit of the new members of the board that at no-time has there been a disposition to wrangle." The discussion then lapsed, no action being taken.