“MUCH ADO--”

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 278, 7 March 1929, Page 1

“MUCH ADO--”

A MINUTE ATTACKED. Chamber of Commerce Meeting. There was much ado about nothing at the meeting of the Putaruru Chamber of Commerce held on Monday evening, when a clause in the minutes of the previous meeting was attacked.

1 The offending minutes, which causled the chairman, Mr. J. W. Barr Brown, to ask for enlightenment, read: “Mr. Griffiths moved that the executive, plus any members present to-night, meet and determine the itinera -- on receipt of advice from Mr. C'inkard. Seconded by Mr. Neal and carried.” The question referred to the forthcoming visit of Parliamentarians, said Mr. Barr Brown, and he would like to ask Mr. Griffiths for an interpretation of the minute. Mr. Griffiths: The executive and members are in the room now. Mr. Barr Brown; I would like to know why some members were excluded. I consider that Mr. Griffiths: You should have been at the meeting. The chairman could not think why some of the financial members had been excluded. Mr. Griffiths: It does not matter what you think. Can you say what other local body would have acted differently ? Mr. F. C. Barnett said he wanted a definite ruling from the chair on the question. Mr. Griffiths pointed out that no member was excluded. The matter had been discussed, and everyone knew the welcome was to take place. It had been published in The Press and was on the minutes.

The chairman said he could only rule that the minute excluded members who were not present at the meeting. Mr. Barnett said he wanted the ruling because he had been asked by members to attend, but had not done so as he considered he had been excluded because he had not attended the meetings. It would appear to the general public that he did this because he did not care to be present. The truth of the matter was that it resulted because he was prohibited from attending. Mr. Griffiths: We cannot send Mr. Barnett back to school but his wording is absurd. If he had been present at the meeting he would not have been excluded. It applied to alt other members, and Mr. Barnett was merely taking it as a personal affront.

Mr. Barnett : I am satisfied now with the chairman’s definite ruling. Mr. Griffiths said he would like zo hear the views of other members, as he had never heard anything like this thing before. Mr. C. C. Neal said he had attended all the meetings, and at the last one a committee had been appointed to meet the Parliamentarians, with Mr. Griffiths as spokesman. No one name was mentioned, but it was natural that they appoint a committee. Any member who was present was included on the committee. The chairman pointed *>ut that prior to the meeting he found that the notices for the meeting had been cancelled. The reason for this step was explained by Mr. Griffiths. Mr. Griffiths: I referred you to the I

minutes and you admitted you had not read them. And anyhow I move that we get on with the business. The discussion, which had got nowhere, was dropped and other matters were proceeded with. •