THE OTAKI SEAT.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2275, 8 October 1914, Page 8

THE OTAKI SEAT.

. Sir,—Mr.' Paape now quotes my Paraparaumu lotter to snow tbat my .pffer to stand down was conditional upon Mr. Field's willingness to retire. Now we get the condition, did Mr., Field agree fo it? '• If so, it was never communicated to me by Mr. Paape, or made public .at any of' the subsequent meetings. Surely I had a right to be informed, being the originator of the offer. The Otaki : meeting was • held after Paraparaumu, and again I wrote my offer,; because, Mr. Paape objected to its being read''; at Paraparaumu. The chairman at Otaki ruled that it should be read, and here was Mr. Paape's chance to give Mr. Field's acceptance. Hβ was silent. Later on, the Levin meeting came" on, and a delegate asked if nry offer^had-been acepted by Mr. Field!.., Mr. Paape .said it did not.m'at,ter whether the , unsuccessful candidate stood down or not, he would not secure sufficient,votes to do any harm. Here,; again, was Mr.. Paape's chance to an- : nounce; Mr. -'Field's 'acceptance. 'The' •first, that friend or foe heard, of my being' accepted was at the Levin meeting last Saturday, when' Mr. Paape had'secured'fourteen Field dele-; gates! .'Then, and not till then, did he tell anyone: of -Mr:. Field's laggard acquiescence. 'If Mr. Paape is riglit, why did Mr'. Guthrie say-.at the Manakaumeeting that Mr. Field was the Reforni inominee, and would not stand/ down in any caseP /Did the organiser know more than the, Government Whip? Mr." Guthrie's announcement disgusted my supporters, and they: "withdrew from a pre-judioated case, arid have taken no part in the election of Mr. Paape's delegates. "As the conditions of my letter were not accepted by Mr. Field, I am absolved from my offer, and I will now proceed with my campaign.—l am, etc., BYRON BROWN. Otalri, October 7. • ' " ■ :