Whip-Wielding Mayor’s Offer To Resign Withdrawn

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29250, 7 July 1960, Page 13

Whip-Wielding Mayor’s Offer To Resign Withdrawn

SYDNEY, July 6. The horsewhip was absent from last night’s meeting of the Nyngan (New South Wales) Council. The man who wielded it at the last meeting, the Mayor, Aiderman M. Wren, lashed out only with his tongue this time. He offered to resign but withdrew his offer. He again attacked Mr H. L. O. Campbell, editor of the “Nyngan Observer”—his quarry with the whip at the last meeting. He said he had only contempt for Mr Campbell’s "biased and unfair” attitude towards him and inter alia, the controversy over the council’s confiscation of a refrigerator. The public gallery was crowded for the meeting. People thought the whip incident might be repeated.

When the meeting opened. Aiderman Wren read a minute stating that he did not object to fair well-based criticism, but he did object to “personal abuse of men who had given up their time for the benefit of the community.

"It has consistently bean the attitude of the “Observer” to misrepresent happenings at the council.

"If the Mayor has erred it has been these things which have led him into error, and he wishes to express his sincere regret to his colleagues, although he sees no reason to withdraw the contempt he has expressed for the biased and unfair attitude of the 'Observer'.” said Aiderman Wren. z

Aiderman Wren said that If anyone was dissatisfied with him he would resign immediately and "go to the people for a verdict.” After a brief discussion on council business, the DeputyMayor said be wanted to move a motion of no-confidence in the Mayor in view of the disorder at the last meeting.

Aiderman Wren declared the motion out of order, claiming it was a "personal smear” against him. “I won't hear you and there is no discussion,” he said. The meeting ended and the crowd filed silently out of the council chamber.