MR. M‘RAE IN REPLY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 1, Issue 133, 31 July 1880, Page 2

MR. M‘RAE IN REPLY.

To the Editor. Sir —I was much surprised at a letter in yesterday’s Serahl from Mr. Bird. 1 never in any way objected to Bird being granted a license for himself. What I objected to was that Mr. Ryle who has been accused in Court as the owner of a brothel, should have charge of a cab, more particularly as a letter from the Borough Council warned cab owners against carrying prostitutes. I never meant in any way to oppose Mr. Bird ; all I objected to was that Charles Ryle should take out a license as owner of a cab, when it was publicly known that he was interested in carrying about loose characters, and I think that the Borough Council after writing in the way they did, should certainly exercise discretion, and not grant a license to any person laboring under such an imputation as Charles Ryle does. I again repeat I have no objection whatever to a license being granted to Mr. Bird, or any other respectable citizen. I deny altogether having stated in my letter that the cab in question was used exclusively for carrying bad characters. I made an error in stating that I did not think Mr. Bird was the real owner of the cab, but after his public statement, fully believe that he is.—l am, &c., J. W. M‘Rae.