Correspondence.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 251, 26 April 1895, Page 2

Correspondence.

THE FEILDING TEMPERANCE DEMONSTRATION COMMITTEE AND THE VOLUNTEEBS. AN EXPLANATION. TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR. ?ir, —As you have quoted from the Wanganui Herald certain remarks in connection with the above, written by a person who styles himself " Marksman," which he calls a joke, but which I consider to be an insult to the Committee, you will kindly insert this explanation. He states " The local Volunteers hearing of the way in which their comrades had been victimised" etc. The italics are mine. The Napier and Hastings Volunteers, sixty-seven strong, were camped in the rooms in Glasgow House on Monday night. A tea and concert were provided the same evening in one of the large rooms, now known as the Temperance Hall. An invitation was given to the Captains of the said corps to bring their men to tea. They did so, and the full amount of the ticket money, £3 7s, was paid by one of the Captains to myself as ticket collector. A number of Volunteers from other corps patronised the tea, paid for their tickets, and expressed themselves as being highly delighted with the spi«ad. After the concert that even ing it wa9 publicly announced from the platform by the Chairman that the Committee had decided to provide lunch at from 12 to 1 o'clock and tea from 5 to 6 p.m. the following day, for whf«h the sum of Is for each meal would be charged, and that tho Committee would be pleased to see any of the Volunteers present if they were still ia town. The Hawera Mounted Rifles and a tew strangers came to the lunch, and apparently appreciated the spread. After they had finished Mr Davies, who, I preeume, was an officer in the corps, addressed me as follows " I believe this spread waa got up by the Temperauee people of Feilding ? I understand that an invitation was given to the Napier and Hastings Volunteers to come to lunch to-day, but as they could not avail them selves o* thenrivilege they passed iton to us. J, on behalf of the company, desire to express thanks for tli3 hospitality shown." I explained that i the Volunteers had patronised the tea the previous evening, but they paid for the same, and if they had come to the lunch or the tea again that day »ye fully expected that they would pay. Mr Davies said *' There was no doubt that a misunderstanding had arisen between tho companies " During the conversation we had walked from the inside of the Hall to the outside of the door where Mr Shearer joined us who went with Mr Davies across to Mr Thompson's store to receive a cheque from Mr Davies and gave him a receipt. I returned to the Hall were a number of the men were still sitting. Mrs Cocker, who had been waiting; at the table, said —" Mr Jolly, the gentlemen want to know who they are to pay." I informed them that Mr Davies was giving a cheque for the full amount!' The above is a true version of the whole affair. I am, &c, H. Jolly, TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR. Sir, —l notice in your issue of the 24th instant a letter clipped from the Wanganui Herald, by " Marksman," charging the Feilding Temperance Demonstration Committee with victimising a certain mounted corps by inviting them to a free lunch and then charging them for the same. Now, sir, in the first place no corps was invited to a free lunch, and, secondly, consequently, no one was victimised. I have no intention of going into details, though am quite prepared to do so if necessary, but, sir, had you been there I am quite sure you would agree with me that it was astonishing how those men seemed to enjoy the repast until they found it had to be paid for. With regard to the nature of ihe letter, tsurely it was poor policy to clip such a scurrilous letter and insert it in the Feilding Star without knowing something of the matter. Had you desired to act impartially you knew where you could have obtained the required information. Are not the men who constitute the said Committee some of them business men who are supporters of yours, worthy of someconsideration 1 Or are they to be victims to these cowardly attacks because Temperance men ? I personally strongly protesc against the imputation contained in the said letter and am prepared to prove that the whole accusation is utterly false. I am, &c, W. G. Sheareh. Feilding, April C'oth, 1895. f TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR. Sib, —l was much surprised at the " yarn " to which you gave publicity in your columns of April 24, and in fairness to the noble band of temperance workers in this town an explanation is due. As jon are aware the fearfully bad weather made both the Temperance Demonstra« tion and the Encampment comparative failures. At the Monday tea a considerable number (about 70, I believe) of the volunteers attended, and a larger number were present at the after meeting, of which I was chairman. After consulting with the committee I announced that there would be a tea on the following night and invited all present to come, especially the volunteers, and I also laid there would be a dinner provided froml2 to 130. Nothing was said to lead the volunteers to believe that they would be admitted free any more than the public in general, and I can say positively that, in my mind, there was no thought of giying them, or any other persona, a free dinner ortea, nor was there any intention to "victimise" them. It was well known that the second day's dinner and tea were to use up the large amount of provisions which were left, and thus help the temperance people out of their diffi. caltryfor their expense 3 in advertising, provisions, etc., were as great as though; the gathering had been a decided success. I cannot think any volunteer would desir* to feast at the expense and. loss of the temperance people any more than they would go to a boarding-house and wish to to be fed free. As for hospitality,; I know that the temperance" people were so free in throwing open their homes, etc., in trying to accommodate the volunteers, that instead of "Marksman " casting public insinuations and discreditable reflections upon' them he ought to have publicly thanked them for their kindness. The gwe vane© has possibly arisen out of & misunderstanding. : ; ; ;".-;■ -■, ; -IV; ;'^.- :;':; v/ ;1i ani, etc., ■. -r ■ ?r^.;- --■-':-■ *>*~'s. :y ■„■ -fe--; -:■ ',-■'.; >.i k;¥j ;■'■;• ;J; .Cooker,: