PROTECTION OF PUBLIC MEN

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 60, 13 March 1925, Page 11

PROTECTION OF PUBLIC MEN

APPEAL TO PRIME MINISTER

BY ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH

SESSION

On Tuesday last, in the Magistrate's Court at Wellington, a civil action was brought by George Ayson against the Eev. S. Robertson Orr, minister of St. Andrew's Church, who is about to spend some time in the 'United States., Mr. On 1 was broi^ght from Auckland to defend the action. A specially summoned meeting of St. Andrew's Church session was held yesterday to consider the situation as it affected the minister and his congregation. The Rev. W. Shirer, 0.8. E., Interim Moderator, presided. The following resolution was unanimously passed:—

" That this meeting of the session of j St. Andrew's Church, Wellington, expresses its firm confidence in its minister, tlie Rev. S. Robertson Orr, and its grave displeasure that he should have been harassed with persistent reports o£ impending trouble followed by having to defend what they believe to be an unwarranted civil action on the very eve of his departure to America. His preaching of righteousness both for the public andt individual citizen, both for the man in private life and for the man in public affairs, has in their opinion brought upon Mr. Orr a grave hardship, and they protest that it is legally possible that such actions as this last can wait so many months and ' then be the subject of a short service summons that entails both great inconvenience and undue hardship." Inter alia, a letter was received and read from Messrs. Stanton's, Ltd. The j following is the letter in extenso:—

Wellington, 12th March, 1925. The Interim Moderator, St. Andrew's Church.

Dear Sir,—l feel that I would like to call the attention of the powers that be in St. Andrew's of Mr. Orr's treatment at yesterday's Court proceedings, in that the plaintiff was allowed to say what he chose and then take a nonsuit. My evidence alone would have put him in a very uncomfortable position, as follows:—

I acted as his agent in examining, reporting^ and taking possession of the car which was the subject of the case. ;By telephone he requested me as a one-time agent for about eight years of Chandler cars, to value the car so

that he might buy it at its value in

order to assist Ayson. The car was an old model, Jiad been in an accident, going over a 20ft drop, I believe. I valued it at about £100, and told Mr. Orr the battery was " out," .which is a shop term for- exhausted. He understood me to mean that the battery was out of the car, though I did not know this until the detectives came to me to trace the battery. After the sale was completed I noticed that the battery >in the car was the property of the Willard Service Station, and returned it to them. They reported that the " Chandler " battery was in their charging station and was useless. 'Mr. Orr was in Christchurch, and did not know these facls. lie returned and learned from my foreman only that the battery was at Ballinger's, where he later called for it. He did not learn the facts from me until after the detectives had called on him and me. The car was bought at £110, general repairs done amounting to about £3u, and sold, after great difficulty at £111.

At 48 hours"notice Mr. Ralph, of the Willard Station, and I were in attem^mce yesterday to give this evidence, -but the-plaintiff, after fourteen months to bring the action, represented he could not .get his witnesses.—Yours faithfully, STANTON'S, LTD., a W. Stanton, Director. The session further considered the matter from a general point of view, and discussed the consequences that may accrue to the community by unwarranted ' ana 1 unsustainable attacks upon public men generally, and in particular ministers of religion, arid ■ resolved as follows:—

That copies of the resolution, letter from Stanton's, Ltd., and Press report of the case be forwarded to the Prime Minister, and that he be

asked whether any action could be

taken which would obviate a recur

rence of actions similar to the one

above referred to, in the case of ministers of religion or any reputable citizen.

It was also resolved that the Press be asked specially to publish the full report of this meeting. Following on the meeting a letter was forwarded to the Prime Minister in the terens directed.