MR BELCHER BELCHES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 247, 24 February 1911, Page 5

MR BELCHER BELCHES

AN ANGRY BOARD MEMBER. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Dunedin, Last Night. An exceedingly hot passage-at-nrms occurred at the Harbor Board's meeting this afternoon, when Mr. Belcher challenged someone with having convened a special meeting of the reserves committee and improperly invited Ravensbourne residents to he present at the meeting. "I do not know who invited the deputation," Mr. Belcher was saying, when the chairman (Mr. Barclay) said that itwas he.

Mr. Belcher then said; "I say it is a disgrace to you to admit that." The chairman drew attention to Mr. Belcher's disrespectful attitude, but the latter repeated the assertion, and refused to withdraw it, though asked twice by the chairman to do. The chairman then said: "I have, under section 23 of the by-laws, to declare that Mr. Belcher is guilty of an offence." Mr. Belcher: You are a fine judge. (Here he laughed.) You are; no mistake about it. You are a fine judge. I would not trust you to judge a dog-fight. Mr. Piatt: Order, order! Mr. Belcher: What is tile matter with you? What have you got to djo with it? Mr. Platts: I consider your remarks are not respectful to the chairman. Mr, Belcher: Address yourself to the chair, then. Mr. Barclay (chairman): I have indicated that I consider it an oPencc. What may follow I shall not say just at present. You will perhaps know it later. Mr. Belcher said he considered this had been the inception of a bit of hole-and-corner business. He had drawn the chairman's attention to the fact that he had done something wrong and improper, and it was not for him t» apologise to the chairman, but for the chairman to apologise to the Board. During the course of subsequent remarks, Mr. Belcher informed the members that he did not care a straw for the lot of them, individually or collectively.