THE LITTLE BOOTMAKER OF FEATHERSTON

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2972, 9 January 1917, Page 7

THE LITTLE BOOTMAKER OF FEATHERSTON

A friend of Uio "little bootmaker" 1 of Featherston writes as follows oil his - behalf, with reforenco to certain state- ■ nionts which appeared in .a • local ! paper: — ■ "That the 'little bootmaker,* Mr. 5 Rutherford, is talking about resigning ' from his task of leading soldiers over • tho Itimutaka.'I—To1 —To this 1 have Mr. - Rutherford's assurance that he has not ■ made.such a, statement. "That ho has preceded' twnnty-on'e ■ reinforcements from Feathorston on the ■ beaten track." —As a fact lie has only accompanied seven reinforcements, and 1 1 believe that only twelve or thirteen ) reinforcements havo gono ovor the hill i altogether. The statement that ho will not load • reinforcoments of conscripts, Mr. ; Rutherford informs me, is quits untrue; - it is likely to do considerable harm to ■ his business in camp, and is also likely i to causo ill-feeling. > Mr. Iluthorford was never tho gtiost ' of a reinforpoment to Australiu; enough for that statement. To tho host of my ' knowledge, only on one occasion has ) Mr. Rutherford received anything moro ■ than thanks ami appreciation, and on • that occasion what was given was quite : voluntary, and was not expected or ■ sought by Mr. Rutherford. As a neighbour of Mr. Rutherford, . and one who has watched him closely, I consider that such statements should , he publicly denied and justice tone to ; one whom I firmly believe is con- . scientiously doing what he thinks is ! right.—l r.m, otc, i .FAIR PLAY.