AN OPUNAKE MEMORIAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 December 1920, Page 5

AN OPUNAKE MEMORIAL.

AN APOLOGY DEMANDED. At yesterday's meeting of the Egmont .< County Council, Cr. Green stated that Cr. Trotter had publicly stated that when a letter re the establishment of a soldiers' memorial in, Opunake wa» before the Council the speaker had contemptuously thrown it on the table with a disparaging remark, and ■he asked the Councillors present if such a thing had occurred in the Council. The chairman, Crs. Wright, Watson and O'Brien, who were members of the previous Council, did not recollect such an incident. They did not remember the letter coming before the Council Cr. Trotter stated that he. had wanted to provide "a suitable memorial to the fallen soldiers in Opunake, and had handed the paper to the chairman to place before the Council in order to get members' signatures, and had asked a Councillor to give him a verbatim report of what occurred. This Councillor had informed him that vlhen the paper > ■ was handed to Cr. Green he had thrown • it on the table with the remark that it was merely an attempt to beautify Opunake. This he took as a personal insult, and had told Cr. Green so at the fir*t opportunity. Cr. Green denied the incident, and ap- ' pealed to the Councillors mentioned, who did not remember the occurrence.

Cr. O'Brien said that it was regrettable that the misunderstanding had taken place. Cr. Trotter, who had lost a son at the front, no doubt felt keenly over the matter. He moved that the Council place on record its appreciation of Cr. Trotter's effort to have a suitable memorial erected in Opunake. Cr. Ferguson seconded this. Cr. Green said that he intended resigning from the Council over the matter unless he obtained an apology. He had endeavor«d to do his bast' while the boys were away at the war, and felt hurt over the incident.

The chairman considered that it wa« not Cr. Trotter that should apologise, but the man who told him.

Cr. Green rvid that the matter bad * been given out publicly, and the motion, if carried, would look like vindicating Cr. Trotter.

Cr. Trotter said that he did not in. tend to apologise.

Cr. Chapman said that it was up to Cr. Trotter to find out the truth of the matter, and if he ascertained that hi* informant was wrong, he should apologno to Cr. Green. The chairman said it was not a matter for the Council, and the incident was dropped.