DID NOT INTEND TO BE OFFENSIVE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18546, 21 August 1928, Page 8

DID NOT INTEND TO BE OFFENSIVE.

MR GOULD EXPLAINS HOW SLIP OCCURRED

“I had not the slightest intention of being discourteous to the Mayor: in fact, I was not even conscious of having addressed him as ‘My Lord’ until he referred to the matter,” said Mr George Gould, this, morning, when approached by a reporter regarding the incident at last night’s meeting of the City Council, when he incurred the displeasure of the Mayor,

Mr Gould said that when the Mayor rebuked him for using tlie expression

“My Lord” he realised that he had made a faux pas, and quite unconsciously made a grimace of self-annoy-ance. He did not intend to be offensive, and was not aware that the Mayor was looking at him at the time. The whole incident was due to the sudden realisation that he had made a slip.

“I am accustomed to attending meetings of the Christ's College Board of Governors, at which the Bishop presides, and it is the custom to address him as ‘My Lord’,” Mr Gould added. “That was how the expression slipped off my tongue. I merely wanted to know if I could ask Councillor Armstrong a question. Councillor Armstrong had said that the present shelter and conveniences were a disgrace to the city. I wanted to ask him in what respect he considered them a disgrace, because so far as I could see the present plan will perpetuate the women’s conveniences underground, and I understand that they are open to criticism in many respects.

“Councillor Armstrong condemned the shelter and the present conveniences in very wholesale terms, and I wanted to get him to particularise his objections. So far as the conveniences are concerned, the council apparently is going to leave the women’s conveniences where they are for all time.” Mr Gould said that the committee appointed at the public meeting of protest was obtaining further legal advice on the matter, and any action to be taken would be dependent on the nature of that advice. The committee would not be called together again until the advice was received.