NOTICE OF WRIT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 591, 24 July 1933, Page 6

NOTICE OF WRIT

1 MAYOR OF OPOTIKI COUN CILLORS DECLINE TO MEET COMMERCE CHAMBER FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS (From Our Own Correspondent.) Opotiki, Sunday. The latest developments in the Opotiki Borough Council dispute are the definite refusal of a group of the councillors led by Crs. S. Shalfoon and Anderson to meet a committee of the Chamher of Commerce to discuss the situation and the serving of niK tice on the Mayor (Mr. G. H. Moody) of a writ of mandamus to force his acceptance of a rejected notice of motion. Following a resolution on the part of the committee of the> Opotiki Chamber of Commerce to invite members of the council to meet them in an informal discussion of the situation, two delegates from the committee on Friday waited upon the mayor and each of tl(e individual councillors with the exception of Crs. Shalfoon and Moody who were then in Auckland. When interviewed, the mayor and Councillors Short and Main expressed appreciation of the suggestion and said that all they desired was an ex- i planation of the drastic economy measures which were proposed. If they were satisfied that there was justification for these measures, they were prepared to support them, but first of all they considered that sufficient reasons should be given. They considered that a discussion with' the Chamber- of Commerce committee would prove an excellent opportunity of discussing the matter and possibly of arriving at an amicable settlement. Crs. Patterson, Webb and J. J. Moody, when interviewed, said that they were willing to attend the meeting provided that Crs. Shalfoon and Anderson were also willing to attend. The deputation fro-m the committee accordingly waited on Crs. Shalfoon, Webb, Patterson and Moody on Saturday afternoon in the oiflce of Messrs Shalfoon Bros. where an informal meeting of the councillors mentioned was being held. After hearing what Messrs Shalfoon and Anderson had to say following their return from Auckland, the five councillors concerned formally declined to attend the proposed meeting stating* that they felt ■that such a conference could only lead to further acrimonious discussion. In addition, it is understood that preliminary notice h'as been served upon the mayor that if he does not comply with certain stipulated eonditions, a Supreme Court ac-tion will follow.