TIMARU TRIFLES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2367, 9 June 1892, Page 2

TIMARU TRIFLES.

Ai-tfu all we are not likely to witness the duel between the Rev. Mr Gillies and Mr E. G. Kerr. Mr Gillies was the first to issue the challenge ; Mr Kerr accepted it on condition that Mr Gillies should speak first. Mr Gillies varied the conditions so that he should speak first, Mr Kerr second, and Mr Gillies to reply without introducing any new matter. Mr Kerr refuses this condition ; one speech each and no more is his ultimatum, and unless Mr Gillies agrees to that we shall have no duel. For their own credit we hope that the dispute has ended. Nothing could be more ridiculous than to see two elderly gentlemen on a public platform, tongue-thrashing each other, and, although we should very much like to see the fun, we hope we have heard the last of it. There was nothing in the whole affair from beginning to end. The Rev. Mr Gillies said something which was capable of being construed into a slur on the Licensing Committee. It could be inferred from the sentenc, that there was an understanding between the publicans and the committee that when lectures were delivered to the publicans they were not to take them seriously. In other words the committee merely lectured the publicans, as a matter of form, and had no intention of enforcing any threat of punishment.- Now the Rev. Mr Gillies denied that he meant this, and once a man gives an assurance that a wrong meaning has been put on liis words his own interpretation of them is accepted. This is invarriably the rule of gentlemanly conduct, but neither the Timaru Herald nor the Licensing Committee adopted this course. They tried to fix on Mr Gillies’ words the meaning which suited themselves and nothing else. In this they were wrong ; they ought to have accepted Mr Gillies’ interpretation of his own language, and his denial that he meant anything else was in fact as good as an apology. There was nothing in the whole affair, from beginning to end, and we are glad to see that there are propects that the chief actors will not continue to make themselves more ridiculous by going on a public platform to discuss it any further.