"INSULTED."

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19287, 17 April 1928, Page 14

"INSULTED."

MRS M'COMBS AGGRIEVED. EXPLANATION ACCEPTED. There were a few tense minutes at yesterday's meeting of the Tramway Board, when Mrs E. 11. McCouibs complained that she had been insulted by the chairman, Mr John Wood, am! called upon him to withdraw a statement he had made. In the course oi a discussion as to whether a deputation from the Sumner Burgesses.' Association should be received to discuss the rumoured mcreaso iu fares, Mr Wood remarked that the Association probably woula get all the information it wanted at a public meeting to be held on Thursday night. An invitation to attcnu that meeting had been accepted jy Sirs McCombs

•'I rise to a point of order," said Mrs McCombs. "I object to the imputation referring to myself contained in your speech. ¥ou imply that I am going to make public matters of committee business. You are doing me a very grave injustice. I pride myself that in all the years 1 have been connected with public bodies I have been exceedingly careful to keep committer matters a* matter of private business, until they are made public in the ordinary course of business. In justice to me you should withdraw the statement." The chairman: Well, Mrs McCombs, you could not come to any other conclusion from the announcement about the meeting tftat they. were going to discuss the. Board's action in connexion with increasing fares, and the other conclusion that you would not bo attending the meeting unless to give information nbout a matter "that is still in committee.

Mrs McCombs said that she had told those connected with the meeting thai if she attended she could not tell'them anything. She had simply accepted an invitation to attend the meeting. In justice to her the chairman's remarks should be withdrawn. "Are members of this Board," she asked, "going to sit here and hear a woman insulted by the chairman in such <t manner as I have been insulted today?" Mr J. A. Flesher: I think that Mrs McCombs's explanation should be accepted in the circumstances. The chairman (to Mrs McCombs):. T am quite willing to accept your explanation, but really when T saw that you were going to attend that meeting I must sav that :I felt annoyed, because it would be a little bit out of place to deal with anything still in the committee stage. I never intended to doubt your word. This phase of the matter then closed.