"OFF-HAND STATEMENTS."

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2682, 11 December 1909, Page 4

"OFF-HAND STATEMENTS."

His AVorship the Alayor marred an otherwise excellent address last evening by cue or two lapses which call for correction. Air. Hill, the well-known Inspector of Schools, having ventured t> suggest in the public press that the Kaiti Hill was not safe for the waterworks reservoir, His AVorship, with quite unnecessary indignation, endeavored to ridicule a gentleman who is highly respected throughout the whole of Poverty Bay and Hawke’s Bay. Particularly did ho jibe at what he termed Air. Hill’s “off-hand statements.” In the next breath he gave a lamentable exhibition of his own carelessness in expression by hinting that Air. Hill’s expression of opinion had been due to his desire to sell the borough a part of his owrr property on Alangapapa Hill. Fortunately member of the audience was in a position to deny this unkind and —we feel sure, thoughtless —imputation by calling out from the back of the hall that Air. Hill does not own the property in question. Towards the close of the meeting His AVorship attempted to hofi Or. Darton up to ridicule for having suggested that storm watershould go through the sewerage pipes. Here again the Alayor’s indignation was entirely misplaced, for Cr. Darton had said nothing of the kind. AA hat he did say was that the sewerage system did not make provision for disposing of storm water, which is perfectly correct. On the question of Dreadnought gas His Worship was equally uhhappy, He endeavored to make it appear* ' that the Gisborne “Times” —“the irresponsible morning journal” was his own term —bad suggested that the Council should adopt this system of lighting for Gisborne. The fact is that we quoted the experience at AVaipukurau, and suggested that the Council might well investigate tire matter. AA'e are glad to have His AVorship’s assirrance that he did take steps in this direction, and have no doubt he will now take an early opportunity of thanking irs for the suggestion he adopted, and at the same time of apologising for his misrepresentation of our attitude.