Personal Apologies To Former Minister

Press, Volume C, Issue 29535, 9 June 1961, Page 15

Personal Apologies To Former Minister

Mr J. Mathison, M.P., a former Minister in charge of Civil Aviation, said yesterday that the report of the Christchurch Junior Council meeting in "The Press” was misleading in several important respects, including the heading. He did not know whether the Junior Council had, in fact, apologised to him. and he was not interested in an apology from the Junior Council. What he had sought and obtained, after correspondence extending over several weeks, were apologies from Mr G. H. Perkins, chairman of the council's provincial questions committee, and Mr E. G. Beckett, the Canterbury public relations officer. The full file of correspondence on the question at issue was not tabled at the meeting of the council but, previously, had been made available to "The Press" by Mr Mathison. Mr Perkins's apology was made unreservedly at the council meeting; but Mr Beckett's name, as his informant, was not mentioned at the meeting. kir Beckett's letter to Mr Mathison is as follows: “With reference to our cor-

respondence regarding the report on aviation presented by the Christchurch Junior Council, I have obviously misinterpreted your comments on May 30. 1958, and I therefore wish to apologise for having given the Junior Council to understand that you had no knowledge of the existence of the 1946 international air agreement between New Zearland and Australia and the United States of America. “Since my letter of May 1, 1961, I have had opportunity to reflect on the discussions of May 30, 1958, and must acknowledge that a Minister of Civil Aviation would certainly know of the existence of any such agreement and. I must therefore accept your assurance of this. “I conclude therefore, that I have, as I say above, misinterpreted your replies to the question regarding air rights put to you by the meeting. “I repeat, as in my last letter, that I regret any embarrassment that may have been caused you. “I am sending a copy of this letter to the Junior Council."