ACRIMONIOUS EXPLANATIONS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1535, 3 September 1912, Page 4

ACRIMONIOUS EXPLANATIONS.

AT THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE The acrimonious character of the recent newspaper correspondence controversy over the much-debated Te Aro railway was referred to at the conclusion of the meeting ofvthe council of the Chamber of Commerce yesterday afternoon. Mr. Leigh Hunt said that \ oue of his letters had been described as full of inaccuracies, nnd made statements that were biased, inaccurate, and unfair. Ho had invited tho writer te bring the matter up at tlic next weeting of the council, and was there to ask him if lip was prepared to accept his stato. ments.

Mr. E. G. Pilcher said that what he had Raid was based on the records of tho chamber, that he had not been personal, but had' attached tho principle of further wasteful expenditure on the Tβ Aro railway station.

Both disputants quoted extensively from the letters which had been published in the press, and both stood to what had been written.

With regard to his. remarks about persons seeking "political notoriety." Sir. Pilcher said that Mr. Leigh Hunt was the last person lie would mention as a candidate for' political honours. His reference was to Mr. J. P. Lilko and another defeated candidate at the last elections, who have interested themselves in the Te Aro"station question. Affor reading some extracts from one of Mr, Hunt's letter.?, Mr. Pilcher said that after such contemptuous nnd personal terms used respecting members of the, chamber, ho had thought it timo to put things straight, ihey had all seen what he wrote, and he stood to it.