WAIMAIRIS REFRESHMENTS.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16885, 13 July 1920, Page 4

WAIMAIRIS REFRESHMENTS.

4 • INDIGNANT COUNCILLORS.

Comment.-? on a recent paragraph which appeared in 'The l s ress' ; were made at yesterday's meeting of the Waimairi County Council. The paragraph, a similar one to which appeared in another local journal, dwelt, on the length of timt, which had been taken up at the previous meeting ot the. Council bx deputations, and on a subsequent i adjournment by the members to an ante-room. "Without reflection on the I member?, it went on to say that considerable loquacity was shown when tlto Council resumed, and such was the case, although the paragraph did not intern! to convey the impression t-iiat the lequacitv" wa.> a direct, result ot ttie adjournment. The paragraph concluded with a rcierence. to the chairman's ho£t)it'J!tty to the pressmen present, whirlV was at the time much, appreciated after i'h© "dry"" meeting At yesterday's meeting, tne chairman, Air V. t\ Snencer, said that he obiecteil to the statement m the paragraph that "a good stock ot rHrcslinicnts v.a.s kept.'' That btatcment, he considered, was false. . Cr. Cleland: Get away. It is quite correct. . . . The chairman retorted ttiat the whole stock at present in the cupboard was three bottles of ale, 12 bottles ot! ginger ale, a small bottle ot whisky, ancf some cheese. (Laughter.) lie continued -that after sitting ior five, hours at the. ]irevious meeting he hate reached home at f) p.m., and all he had had been two glasses, of ale .and a piece of bread and ehce.se. Tho reports m the jjapers would lead the residents to think that the Council met and had a good time. (Laughter.) jio added that his generosity on the previous occasion :had been'misplaced, and ho would know what to do another time. Cr. S. A. Stajiles said that the newspaper paragraphs would lead one to think that members met ami adjourned to take, enough refreshment to make the.m talk. He considered that tho reference to the members' "energy in loquacity" on returning from l'lie adjournment -v.-tts a decided breach of privilege on the part of tho Press representative.-. He thought that another passage in one of the paragraphs stating that the chairman had remarked to tiho Council: "There, you have, driven the reporters away,'"' was not accurate. The chairman: Oh, yes. I did say that. (Laughter.) Mr Staples added that he was not going to have, the public think that hewent to tho Council meetings and got "tanked.'' (Laughter.) 1 ' He thought tho papers concerned should publish an apology. The chairman said he wished to remove any false impression that might exfst amongst tho ratepayers. Anyone wilio knew liim would know that the remarks he. had made were what he would say jocularly.

Cr. C. "\V. Hervey, who had left the meeting when the incident reported occurred, said that a large number of deputations had wasted the Council's time -with, trifling matters, -which, had. probably given the reporters good reason to ''"have a shot" afc the Council. He regretted the appearance of the. paragraphs, but he thought there might ho some justification for tihem. The discussion was a good-humoured one, and the hatchet was buried at the end of the meeting, when the pressmen were once again invited to help in thq demolition of the depicted stocks.