Walk-out At Meeting Of Acclimatisation Council

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30156, 13 June 1963, Page 15

Walk-out At Meeting Of Acclimatisation Council

A member of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society’s council walked out of its meeting last evening, saying he would send in his resignation The member, Mr D. J. Hughey, objected to a sentence in a paragraph on ranging activities contained in the composite report presented by the president (Mr F. J. Gorton).

The paragraph said: “One qf the staff spent some time in the Slovens creek-Winding creek area endeavouring to find spawners to place in water above the falls at Slovens creek. The mission was not successful.

Objecting to the final sentence. Mr Hughey said that if there was any failure it was the fault of the executive and the council; the man doing the work was removed for other work at the vita] time.

He said the final sentence should be left out at least until the ranger’s report had been received. The project had not been a failure overall, although no spawners had been placed above the falls. Mr Gorton said that the report under consideration was not a Report on the project: it was a general report on ranging activities.

Mr Hughey asked what would happen next year if he tried the project again. Mr G. Mugford said the

men were allocated according to priority of work as decided by the council as on other occasions. In future the allocation would have to be decided on the same—the usual —basis.

At this point Mr Hughey rose from the table and left the meeting. Mr Gorton said he was sorry Mr Hughey had taken the attitude that the council did not try to carry on with his job. Mr Mugford said the fish committee this year had encroached on the work of the game committee. "They got on to projects that encroached on the busiest period of the game.” Mr Mugford said he had often been in Mr Hughey's position with a project. “ . . .

but I am still here.” He hoped Mr Hughey would reconsider his decision.

“Your executive did exactly what has been done by this council," he said.