“VOICE OF THE MOB”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 660, 11 May 1929, Page 11

“VOICE OF THE MOB”

DEPUTY-MAYOR REPLIES TO CRITICS DID NOT MEAN ELECTORS The Deputy-Mayor (Mr. A. J. Rntrican) has forwarded the following letter to The Sun on the subject of the criticism which followed his remarks at the initial meeting of the new Council: •‘Would you allow me a small space to reply to a letter which appeared in your yesterday’s issue signed ‘Elector,’ under the heading ‘The Voice of the Mob.’ “I am pleased to have the opportunity of absolutely denying that my remarks applied to the electors of the City of Auckland. They referred to the meeting in the Concert Chamber on the previous Monday evening. I was not at that meeting, but from the Press reports it got out of control and the police had to be appealed to, to keep order. “If I did not make this quite plain to those present at the Council meeting, I am sorry, but to cast any reflection on the eleetprs who calmly and deliberately cast their votes at the poll was furthest from my mind. The meeting on Monday evening was called to deal with the question: ‘The City’s Representation on the Transport Board.’ I stated the Council was better able to make a fitting selection of representatives to the Transport Board tiian ‘the mob’ (that meeting) possibly could. “I admit that I should perhaps have used a different word to designate that meeting, but one sometimes does not use the best or wisest words in the heat of debate, and I regret giving any cause of offence to the electors of the city from whom, over a long period of years, I have received the greatest kindness and confidence, which it will be my sincere effort still to merit.”