"MOST UNWISE."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 945, 12 October 1910, Page 4

"MOST UNWISE."

PRESBYTERY EXCLUDES THE " : . PRESS. •■.. A DonmaoN reporter, who yesterday attended the meeting of the Wellington Presbytery, was met.by a statement from the Moderator (the Kev. K. Inglis) to the effect that the.Presbytery had dc-oided at its 'previous meeting to "supply its own reports." "Does that mean, Mr. Moderator," inquired i the reporter, "that the press are .excluded?" ( "It means. Moderator," interjected the Rev. Dr. Gibb, "that, a very 6trong effort ■willj» made shortly to have our friends of the_press back again." . " . The Eev.W. Shirer, clerk to the Presbytery, here intervened with ft courteous explanation: that however much the Presbyterymight .ordinarily appreciate the presence of the press,; the attendance of its representatives was. not at the moment desired. .....'.' •' The reporter then withdrew. '■■. ■■". Questioned; later, as to the pounds that had influenced the Presbyterr in. its decision to exolude the press, the Moderator stated that* he had gathered, when the. matter was disoussed.that a number of members considered reports that ;-had appeared in some of the newspapers were "distorted, and not a fair representation of the Presbytery proceedings.'' From this view some members might l dissent, but it was the opinion of the majority. "You will for the future sit-in private Chen?." inquired the reporter. "No," Mr. Inglis replied; "the Presbytery is an open court. Anybody in Wellington can attend." . ; .."Will the press be, permitted to report the proceedings ?" ■■.'■, ■','/"No't" said the, Moderator. .' ..-- Some leading members of the.Presbytery who were questioned characterised its action' in excluding the ■ press , as "most'.unwise." :,: . -.•••-,'.•'.'.' -- :