LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1840, 28 August 1913, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

MUNICIPAL. FIRE RISKS,

Sir, —In yesterday morning's issue of your paper Councillor Fletcher replies to my statement re fire insurance made to your representative and published in the previous day's issue. Ho appears to have become very wroth at my reply to your representative, when I was asked the question what I thought of Councillor's Fletcher's idea of setting the suggested new scheme on foot. When I asked the question "Whose idea?" your representative replied Councillor Fletcher's notice of motion, which was not reached at tho last- meeting of tho council. To which I gave tlio reply as follows: — "It could scarcely bo called Councillor Flotcher's 'idea,' it was undoubtedly borrowed from tho report of tho Town Clerk," and then, by way of explanation, I stated that tlio Town Clerk had issued a statement under tho cover of "confidential," giving the whole of tlio particulars ro the corporation taking its own risk. Now, sir, Councillor Fletcher, in his reply as to what he terms facts, says: "Let me say I never laid claim to tho 'idea' being mine." Now, sir, in the "Evening Post" of August lfi, a copy of which I attach,- thero is a special heading ro firo' risks, as follows: "Municipal Insurance—Councillor Fletcher's Proposals," in big lettors. Tlio article then goes on to state that after giving tho fullest consideration to tlio subject, Councillor Fletcher is of tho opinion that the City Council should take its own- fire risk. It goes on to say further that speaking to a "Post" reporter Councillor Fletcher said, inter alia, that in his opinion tho proposition that the council should take its own firo risk was a sound oiie—and further, that "his idea" (note tho word) was that tho council should set aside tho sum of £3000 as tho nucleus of an insuranco fund. Yet, in. faco of these facts—after having in his possession for about a fortnight, tho Town Clerk's memorandum—ho states, in your issue yesterday, morning, that -lie never claimed that tho idea was his. Then why did ho not' correct the statement of the "Post" -reporter? As to tho' accuracy of this I will leavo the public to judge; but ho need not have accused me of inaccuracy after that;

His reference to ringing me up on tho telephone is quite correct. He stated that, lie wished to convey to mo his compliments and in doing so referred to my statements that he had borrowed his "idea" from the Town Clerk's n\emo. To this I replied I considered it; a joke, and I am still of the opinion that it was nothing more or less than a joke to try and make-beliovo as he did in his interview with tho "Post" representative that tliel "idea" was ,his own. 1 would like here to say, in reply to his statements, that the matter could not come up without a notice of motion, that it is equally erroneous as lie knows, that tho Town Cleric was instructed by resolution to make a full report to the council on the question of fire insurance before tho cn'.'ncil should decide as to whether it should accept one of tho tendon from the companies tendering, or take up the risk itself. This resolution was moved by myself at a meeting v. hen the question of insuranco was under consideration some two moiulis ago. He alio states that the whole of tho Town Clerk's report, as publishel in.tho paper, uao tendered by mo and not by him. 1 can only say in reply that his statement is on a par with his other statements. The Town Clerk's report covered about four sheets of foolscap, closely typewritten, and tho report published by you was considerably less than what actually appeared on one sheet, and docs not give so much of the Teport as ho gavo himself to tho reporter of tho "Post" some ton days aeo.

I will not tako tho trouble to reply to his other statements, but Councillor Fie idler, as a public man, should know by ittiis time that mien in public positions, as well as questions of publie policy, are, hnd should always be, open to public criticism, and should not set angry. To quote an old saying: "It's tho angry man in a row that is generally in the wrong."—l am, etc., GEORGE FROST. Wellington, August 26, 1913.