CHIEF JUSTICE REPLIES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 28 June 1943, Page 6

CHIEF JUSTICE REPLIES

Sir Michael Myers, in his second letter, sets out what he considers to be the precise facts of the case as follows; On Monday, June 21, at about 5 p.m., having ascertained that the resident Wellington judges and a visiting judge had just received invitations to the civic reception, and not having received one

myself, I directed my associate to telephone the town clerk and inform ham that Lady Myers and I desired to attend and that I assumed that seats would be reserved for us as customary. My associate reported to me that the town clerk informed him that an invitation had not been sent to me, and that in not sending it he, the town clerk, had acted "upon instructions from higher up.” I then telephoned the town clerk myself and said that my associate had brought me an extraordinary message which I could not understand. He said that he was sorry, but that he had to obey instructions. I then said that Lady Myers and I desii|ed to attend, and that I should like the customary courtesy of reserved seats. The town clerk replied 1 that the mayor’s orders were that seats were not to be reserved. Upon my saying that I was amazed and that the matter could not end there, he said of his volition that he would see the mayor again. I said that I would remain in my chambers for about a quarter of an hour; I gave him my unlisted telephone number, and he promised to ring me after he had seen the mayor. In about ten or fifteen minutes he telephoned me and said: “I have seen the mayor; he says that he will consider your request.” I said that that message merely added to the insult, and that the matter could not rest there. He said, "I am sorry, but I am only obeying orders.” He suggested that I speak to the mayor myself, and I answered, “Certainly not.” It Is correct that an invitation was delivered at my chambers about 9.15 on Ti ‘sday morning, but without a word of explanation. I desired if I could to avoid possible embarrassment to others, and it occurred to me that that might be overcome if the mayor was even at that late stage prepared to withdraw gracefully. I therefore telephoned the town clerk and told him that I had received the invitation and could not attend the reception, and that

X proposed taking certain course of action which, however, could be avoided by the mayor at once sending me (but not for publication) an expression of Regret for his insults of the previous day, I spoke to the town clerk in confidence, but he said that he would like to tell the mayor what I had said, and I told him that I had no objection. Had such an expression of regret been made, it would have ended the matter. But nothing was heard from the mayor. The value of the mayor’s present exThe value of the mayor’s present explanation may perhaps be best estima- ; ted by the fact that neither the town ; clerk in his conversations with me over 1 the telephone, nor the mayor himself when sending the invitation, or later when I said that a proper expression of regret was required, said a single word of any difficulty in regard to seating or otherwise. Surely, if there was an explanation, that was the time to make it. For the mayor to talk about an affront to the city councillors is a palpable absurdity. “CRUX OF WHOLE SITUATION” The following further letter from Mr Hislop was published on Saturday:— The Chief Justice omits to say that his secretary was definitely informed by the Town Clerk that he was not to assume that no invitation would be sent, but that it was held up in the meantime. This is the crux of the whole situation and has been overlooked by the Chief Justice. The reason for this temporary holding back of the invitation was simply to enable consideration of the arrangement of the platform seating to be completed. As I stated in my previous letter, we had to endeavour to find room for sixty-six persons on a platform that accommodated normally only fifty-five. The puisne Judges were invited to the auditorium only, but it was a condition that the Chief Justice should be seated in a prominent position on the platform.