AN APOLOGY DEMANDED

Taranaki Daily News, 2 December 1933, Page 9

AN APOLOGY DEMANDED

EX-CHAIRMAN’S QUALIFICATION. OPUNAKE HARBOUR DISPUTE. At last night’s meeting of the Opunake Harbour Hoard Mr. T. P. Hudson said he would like to ask the chairman for an explanation regarding a paragraph in a letter appearing in a Taranaki paper above his signature, which stated, inter alia: “I also notice that a non-ratepayer member of the board, who is mainly responsible for this fiasco, says practically the same thing in a circular, letter he is broadcasting.” “Clearly,” continued Mr. Hughson, “that is me.” The chairman (Mr. J. S. Hickey): Quite right Mr., Hughson said he would like to know just what the position was, “You, Mr. Chairman, are implicating not only myself but also the returning officer,” he said. “I have been returned as a member of the board for the past 20 years by the ratepayers.” Mr. Sheat: Not by the ratepayers, but by the electors. .The chairman: I meant to infer that you were "not personally a ratepayer. Mr. Hughson: I am of the opinion that I am one of the largest ratepayers in the Opunake harbour district As chairman of Hughson’S, Ltd., I am a ratepayer on three properties in the town, while I am also as trustee of a farm estate for another party a considerable ratepayer, so that I do not know how you can make out that I am a non-ratepayer. As representative of Hughson’s, Ltd., and his family, he added, he was on the board as a ratepayer and consequently he could not understand the chairman dubbing him a non-ratepayer in print. He therefore called on the chairman either to justify that statement, or else make an apology through the Press. The chairman: What I meant to convey was that you personally were not on the books as a ratepayer, though you had a considerable influence in the building of the harbour. From what I see of the position, you are certainly legally entitled to sit on this board or any other, local body in the district, but what I - had in my mind was that you lacked the direct personal ratepayer’s qualification. Mr. Hughson: I don’t know what you mean by lacking, the direct personal qualification. As managing director of T. P. Hughson," Ltd/, I have the personal qualification. The chairman: I did not know about the managing director;, . Mr. Hughson re-iterated that he did not know why he should be dubbed a non-ratepayer when he had all the quali- ' fications. The chairman said that Mr. Hughson was probably right in holding that he was a ratepayer, but in view of the influence Mr. Hughson had had oh the harbour he had felt justified in making the statement. “However, in order to get over the matter I will say that I should not have put it that way,” said Mr. Hickey. “I will say that you are a ratepayer indirectly and apologise. You are perfectly qualified to sit here.”