AMALGAMATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 443, 14 June 1902, Page 3

AMALGAMATION.

(To the Editor of the Times )

Sir,—“ Birds are entangled by their feet, men by their tongues,” quotes Hippie, and I would also remind him of another quotation, “ Birds of a feather flock together.” Hippie, Civis, Citizen, Cadmus aud Co. are all of tho same feather like the owl they care not for the light, but work in the dark, and are apparently ashamed of their proper names. Now than they have exhausted their vocabulary and personal attacks, I may again have I something to say. It is with reluctance that I pay any heed to men who fight in the dark, but perhaps even guerilla warfare of the kind should not go altogether unheeded. Tho misleading statements in regard to Mr Matthewson especially should havo notice. First as to “ Hippie,” both Mr A. E. Matthews and myself havo long since recovered from tho “ Irishmen’s lift ” received in tho Harbor Board election. As to Civis, practically threo-feurths of the affected Kaiti area being for amalgamation the Board took it up and supported it. Speaking for the Kaiti—l leave others to deal with tho Whataupoko

—it is absolutely misleading to say that ihe committee) was self-appointed. It is untrue to say that tho committee dragged politics into the matter, unless standing up for tho Bay as against the insults of the Government can be deemed to bo politics. Tho writer apparently knows as little about the political phase of the subject as ho does about Mr Matthewson's views, when he states that that gentleman joined Captain Tucker in the formation of Titirangi road district to avoid the payment of Kaiti rates. As a matter of fact Mr Matthewson strongly opposed Captain Tucker in regard to the formation of Titirangi; in fact Mr Matthewson went so far in his righteous opposition that through absurd legal technicalities the Board was involved in a lawsuit costing about a hundred pounds. If “ Civis ” is a true Liberal he should take the first opportunity to apologiso to Mr I Matthewson for the unfair statement made. As to the assertion that Liberalism existed in this district before Mr Matthewson heard of Young Nick’s Head, let me digress for a moment. In, I think, 1873 Captain Bead and Captain Morris fought an election on the Conservative and Liberal tickets. Boad was then the Czar of Poverty Bay, supported by influential friends. Mr Matthewson, who had been consulted in the matter by the G.O.M. of the Colonies, the late Sir George Grey, took the load in fighting the Conservative Bead, and in the fight bad the co-operation of the first paper in tho district, Mr Edwin Webb’s Standard. Only fifteen could be got with the courage to vote against Bead at Gisborne. Where was “ Civis ” and his alleged Liberal teachings in those days ? I doubt if he was even one of the fifteen. The election resulted in the smashing of tho Liberal paper, which was supplanted by tho Poverty Bay Herald. Through advorsity and sunshine in the political world Mr Matthewson has remained the same grand fighter, true as steel to the interests of tho districts and true Liberalism, and with the same splendid spirit that prompted him in 1873. Then ho fought against a local Czar. Now, in the roal interests oidhc district he has taken a bold stand against tho most powerful Government that ever existed in New Zealand. Though ho did his best for that party bo will not submit to the district being flouted by them. A good deal that has been written by tho fighters in the dark is not worthy of notice, but at a later stage I may have some thing to say to the other II birds,” “ Citizen ” (from Napier) and “ Cadmus.” For the time being I havo perhaps taken up sufficient of your space. I am, eto.,

Frank Harris.