Original Correspondence

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 499, 26 April 1881, Page 2

Original Correspondence

Wio are at all times ready to give expression to every shade of opinion, but in no case do we hold ourselves responsible for the views advocated by our correspondents. OKAIN'S ROAD BOARD, V THACKER. To ihe Editor. Snt, —As I see my name was brought up in llio Court last week, in connection with Mr Thacker's cheque for rates, 1 might just explain how it came into my hands. Mr Wright ws passing on Friday morning, (he l'Jth ii list., and asked me if I woird be sending over to the bank, to which I replied that possibly [ should be as soon as the holidays were over. lie then handed me ihe cheque and asked me to pay it into the bank which I did to my account, will) the understanding that when he came from town I was io give him a cheque of my own in return. By the way it leads in the paper some of the. r tep.-uers may think it was given to mo for a store account, if so I beg to state the whole transaction was done in good faith and for no consideration whatever.—l am, etc., TIIOS. 11. OLDRIDGE, To the Editor. Sjh,—lf it was not for the very ioinancing manner in which your reporter thought lit to report the proceedings in the i!.M. Court last Tuesday, I would net have taken the trouble to have noticed any portion of his article; but one thing I would like to explain, and that is that I misunderstood the Bench at the time when the question was put to me for the seeend time, viz,, as to producing the cheque. I had jnst previously stated that it was in ihe bank, but on the next time Jhe question was put I understood it referred to the envelope, which I reaJly had at the time in my pocket, and which I now forward to you, and the same is at your reporter's service, or that of any one else. Mr Thacker srates in his evidence that he posted the cheque with his own hands on the Ist April, whereas it was only posted on the 4th, as will be seen by the envelope enclosed, and I stated so at the time. One word more and I have done. In reporting for a respectable newspaper I always thought that the reporter confined himself to the facts of the case, and did not embellish his report with funniments to please either party connected with the case.—Yours, etc., DAVID WEIGHT.. Le Bon's Bay, 25th April, 1881. [Mr Wright is quite welcometo his v explanation." but we cannot allow his insinuations against the veracity of our report to pass without protest. We have made the most careful enquiries, and we find that our reporter, instead of '• romancing " and "embellishing" the facts of the case, has very considerably "understated what really took place. As to the " funniments " Mr Wright complains of, he should consider that, like Pnls'taff, ho is ■' not only witty himself, but the cause of wit in others." Jle must surely remember tl At during the" case a numerous audience was convulsed with laughter Perhaps Mr Wright prefers the stern brevity of* the report, of the L'jttelton Times, which simply attributes the decision of the Co::rt to '• th'.f prevarication of the collector." Mr Wright has lived long enough to know what, " prevarication " in a wit-ness-box means.— Ed. A.M.]