To Kirk on Sunday

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33819, 16 April 1975, Page 22

To Kirk on Sunday

The division of Church and State was narrowed at last evening’s meeting of the Christchurch Drainage Board.

Debate started on the meeting held last week-end by the East Spreydon Action Group, attended by the member of Parliament for Sydenham (Mr J. N. Kirk), at which the board members were roundly criticised for not attending

it the meeting Mr Kirk said he had given 17 days notice for board members to attend. This was challenged last evening and all members of the board agreed that the amount of notice of the meeting was three days—too short for any of them to attend. The meeting was held on a Sunday afternoon, and the board agreed that, given reasonable notice, members would attend any further meeting of the group if requested.

Mr R. Bamford said he had noted beside his committee report of the meeting ••irresponsible Kirk.”

“1 still think it was irresponsible of Mr Kirk to run to the papers with

this statement which is not true. Nothing has happened since I made that note to change my mind,” he said.

“Mr Kirk’s claim of 17 days notice to board members is very wrong and the public are entitled to know that I deplore his going to the papers in this way,” he said.

Mr H. P. Thompson took exception to the day on which the meeting was called.

“We are told that for six days shall we labour and o n the seventh we shall rest.

"I take the strongest exception to the board being summonsed in this way on the Sabbath,” he said.

The acting chairman of the board (Mr C. H. Russell) said that the day had been chosen as the most convenient for Mr Kirk to attend.

Mr N. Dodge: “Who were we meeting—the residents or Mr Kirk?” Mr Russell: “It has been suggested at this end of the table that some us go to Kirk on Sundays.”