FRACAS ATA SPORTS MEETING

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1960, 17 January 1914, Page 6

FRACAS ATA SPORTS MEETING

;■; .■ t 'ANOTHER VERSION. Sir,—Enclose! 19' a c'ojvy' 'of' a letter sent by us to. the "Mariborough Express," with reference to a report of an alleged fracas at-the Waitata Bay Sports meeting, hold on. 30th ultimo. This report appeared in your issue of Monday last.—l am, etc., H. E/GIRDLESTONE. W. I'ERHY.. Wellington,. January 10. To the Editor, "Mariborough Express." Sir,-«-Our attention has boon drawn to paragraphs appearing in tiro "Evening Post" and The Dominion newspapers of this city, describing the alleged i'racas which occurred at tho Waitata Bay Sports on .30th ultimo. : The reports are stated to have been taken from your paper. Wβ wore members of a party of nine, including somo members of'the Star Boating Club, which spent a week in the Sounds during tlio Christmas holidays, and all our. party were -present at the sports. Wβ•'have no hesitation in saying that the reports of -the proceedings which wo have road arc grossly exaggerated, and we cannot imiigino that your informant was in his right senses when- ho made such statements to your representative. Iu the- first pJacty there were'not '00 pcoplo present—2oo would bo nearer tlio mark. Secondly, your informant's statement that "about fartyaggravated anil drunken persons participated in an ignominious contest" is utter rubbish. There wore only -four drunken persons in the whole crowd, and 0110 of these was drank when lie arrived. How your informant multiplies four drunken persons into about lorty ditto puzzles us.completely. Perhaps the sun was too hot for , him! In the first- place, thoro were not 500 not ariso put of dissatisfaction at tho handicapping in'tho launch race. It arose because tho' launch first past- the winning post had started half a minute too soon. It's news to us thai "tho race was wen with ease by a launch in which the handicappoTs had a proprietary interest." "rh-a several dissatisfied ones, who were-in an extremely bellicose M-oofi.Oß account of tho 'largo quantities of beer they had imbibed," existed only in the fertile imagination of your informant. The only, man who was dissatisfied was tiro owner of tho launch which Was disqualified, and he, though angry, .was quito sober. There was a lot of excitement at tho prospect of a fight between this man and tho judge, but the two men wore kept a.fart. Two ."drurike" were, in. the meantime,, challenging all, and sundry to fight, but woro not taken- seriously by anyone. There were not h.alfrd-rtwen blows struck during tho>holetrouble. -.' ' . , Your informant , has cast a. most undeserved slur 611. the Turner family.' Wo unhesitatingly asjei'ji that 'tho,greatest, credit is duo to the-iTi>ru'nr-s far/tho way tho sports were conducted and for thoir successful efforts to ; prevent tlic trouble spreading. We write this letter purely- as a matter of fair play, and -in'order iliat, the facts <jf the occurrence, may ho placed before the- public—We are, etc, - 11. B. GLRBLESTONE. W. PERRY. Wellington, January Iβ

The roiitals of c&rtain of the corporation leases «n ths' Lambton Quay re* ciamntioh will Mxt-month conio before the- .Supremo Court', on , a motion to set asido tlie rentals'awarded in Octobor, antl to fix n»w rcutnls. On Pobruary 11 a case concerning Aitketi, Wilson and Co. wiil bp heard, which will be followed by applications on bolinlf of tho followj ilia lessees :— J. B. Hitrcourt, Kirltealdio and Stains. Goorgo and Koreloy, and Hall and Knight..-•' • . Tlip Town Clerk invites tenders for tl\o naiiitiiiir of the exterior of tlio Thorndon Baths. Tenders close on January 2fi. Tho New.Zealand Loan and Mercantile AftMicy Co., Ltd., and Messrs. Gorton nu<! Sun. will hold .the Roiijjoien Weancr I'aiv on Jamwvy 2S, when 1000 veanors will bo offered. The New Zealand Loan and Mercnntila \ Ajroncy Co. will hold a oltarinj: sale of etocl? at. ■\Yaikaßac on Thursday, Jaim*ry 29, . .. ,■ .", .