A FARMER'S INTERRUPTION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9223, 30 April 1908, Page 3

A FARMER'S INTERRUPTION.

MISREPORTING OR MISREADING. Before the proceedings of the Conciliation Board were continued this morning the chairman (Mr W. Minson) said that he felt it his duty to refer to to-day's report of the " Lytteltmi Times" (and incidentally that of the "Star" of yesterday) which seemed to him to convey a very false impression of what transpired. It was as follows in Mr Jones's statement :— " The case had been engineered by the Political Labour League and was an attempt to prostitute the Arbitration Act for political purposes. The Chairman: I cannot allow that." "I need not say/ continued Mr Minson, " that it would be utterly out of place for a chairman to express an opinion of this kind, and I absolutely deny that I made it." Continuing, Mr Minson said that the report probably was not intended to imply that he did make the statement, and an explanation had been pointed out to him in the last few minutes. He found it correctly in the official report, but either the printer or reporter of the " Lyttelton Times" had omitted to state that between Mr Jones s remarks and that of the chairman there had been an interjection .of "hear, hear," to which he had referred in stating " I cannot allow that." The "Star" reporter present there-; upon handed the chairman a cutting from the "Lyttelton Times" and "Star" ac follows: — The case had been engineered by the Independent Political Labour League, and was an attempt to prostitute the Arbitration Act for political purposes. (Hear, hear.) The chairman : I cannot allow that. Mr Mirisbn, however, made no further reference to the incident in o£en Court. la a subsequent conversation with the reporter Mr Minson stated that he had not intended to indicate that the interjection had been omitted, but he did not consider that it was as nicely put as it might have been.