SUSPENDED EXHIBITION OFFICIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13464, 17 April 1907, Page 7

SUSPENDED EXHIBITION OFFICIAL.

MEETING OF McINTYRE'S

CREDITORS.

STRICTURES ON EXHIBITION

MANAGEMENT.

" DISGRACEFUL" BOOK-KEEPING.

[iIY TELEGRAPH.-— ['BESS ASSOCIATION'.]

Christchcrch, Tuesday. A meeting of the creditors of D. C. Mc[ntyre, ex-superintendent of awards at the Exhibition, who was suspended and left tlie colony unexpectedly last week, was held this morning.

Air. 1). Stranaghan, who was voted to the chair, said that the meeting had been convened by himself, in conjunction with a number of other creditors, before it was announced what action the Government would take. He understood now that the Government had decided to extradite MeIntyre, and he thought, therefore, that all that meeting could do was to pass a motion congratulating the Government upon the steps it had taken. He .noved to this effect.

Mr. T. Cocks seconded the motion.

Mr. Allan Hopkins said Ik- earnestly hoped they would pass no such motion as that proposed. That motion was one of praise, and in a matter of this kind, the Government should not receive special praise for doing its bare duty. He would go further, anil say that the Government had been culpably negligent in this matter. They had let this man leave the colony, and it would cost them at least £250 to briug him back. Far from being praised, the Government ought to be censured for its supineness in the matter.

A Creditor: The Government had no complaints from private auditors before it when it was decided to let him go.

Mr. Hopkins, continuing, said they were told iu the newspapers the other day that Mclntyre was visited on board the Turakina, by the Wellington police. It that were so the Government must have had something to go upon, and Mclntyre ought never to have been allowed to leave the colony. Mr. H. W. F. Eaton, managing director of the Colonial and Foreign Agency Company, said he had come to that meeting rather because he had a grievance against the Exhibition (perhaps on account of Mclntyre), than because he had any serious grievance against Mclntyre himself. When the Exhibition opened he asked for space and paid for it, but'he had been so much humbugged by the Exhibition authorities that he bad. never filled up his space. Now the Exhibition people were threatening to sue him for the rent of his space, although he had paid Mr. Mclntpre for it, and held his receipt. He asserted if the Exhibition books were properly kept the authorities must have known what was going on. and, in fact, he was prepared to prove that the Government did know all about the matter.

Mr. Allan Hopkins said the conduct of the Exhibition was. perhaps, outside the scope of that meeting. But since it had been referred to. he would also make some observations thereupon. What the last speaker had said only confirmed the view which he (Mr. Hopkins) had taken. Representing, is he did. creditors who were in for hundred* and hundreds of pounds, he should be more than sorry to see the motion before the meeting passed. The Government did not deserve such treatment as it was proposed to accord them. They had taken no step to prevent Mclntyre's departure, and that was in harmony with all the rest of the history of the Exhibition. He would "ay deliberately, ami lie oared not if it went out in the newspapers, that if anyone there present came into the Bankruptcy Court and his books were- found to have been kept in the. way the Exhibition books had been kept, ho would receive a very sharp eastigat.ion from the official assignee. He had no hesitation in saying that the way in which the books at the Exhibition bad been kept was simply disgraceful. Again, he would advise them not to pass the motion proposed, because, before a very few weeks hadi gone by (and he spoke knowing of what he was speaking), a great deal would be known that was not known at present, and there would Ik- a very strong and bitter feeling in the minds of the public of Christ-church ami Canterbury against the Government for the very lax manner in which the whole Exhibition had been managed.

It was resolved to pass no motion, and to adjourn the meeting pine die, Mr. Stra-n ighati to be convener should another meeting be required.