THE SALMON OVA.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 630, 26 June 1876, Page 2

THE SALMON OVA.

The following correspondence has been placed at our disposal:— Christchurch, loth Juuc, 1576. SirJ. C. Wilson, C. 8., K. 5.1., President of the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society. Sir, —I beg to enclose to you herewith for the con ■ sideration of the Society, documents which I think fally prove that Mr A. M. Johnson, of Opawa, was the true owner of a certain small box of salmon ova which arrived per Arawata, at Lyttelton, on the 4th April last, and which was at the time claimed by him, but taken posession of and appropriated to the use of the Society by Mr Farr. I venture to hope that if the Society is satisfied of the facts they will be prepared to compensate Mr Johnson for the loss he has sustained, either by delivering to him a proportionate part of the fish actually hatched out or by making him a pecuniary compensation. I can fully understand that the Society, up to this time, may have fully believed that they were entitled to receive and retain the whole of the ova, but I think that a perusal of the documents enclosed will convince any unprejudiced person that they were wrong in that belief. Trusting that you will bring the matter before the

Society at your earliest convenience, I am, sir, yours very obediently. Richard D. Thomas.

Dunedin, 31-3-76. To,A. M. Johnson, Esq, Opawa, Christchurch. Have directed box ova to be sent on to yon by Arawata. J. Macandrew. Provincial Secretary’s office, Dunedin 13th April, 1876. Sir,—l am directed by his Honor the Superintendent to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the sth instant with reference to the non-delivery to you of the box of salmon ova, and to express his regret at the unwarrantable action which has deprived you of the opportunity of aiding in the experiment of introducing salmon into this colony. It would appear that Mr Howard, who was directed to forward one box to you was at fault, in not addressing it as directed, at the same time the exhibition by you of his Honor’s telegram ought to have satisfied Mr Farr as to what was intended. As it is lam to repeat the Superintendent’s regret that.his intention in the matter has been I have the honor to be sir, your most obedient servant, Alex. Willis, Under Secretary. Salmon Ponds, Wallacetown, 15th April, 1876. Dear Sir, —I received your letter of 6th this morning, and forward copies of the telegrams I received from the Superintendent of Otago on my arrival at the Bluff. As I had made my arrangements so that I should not (except for these telegrams) have to reopen the ova until it arrival at the ponds, I naturally took the first two boxes I reached, having to remove about a ton of ice even then. My instructions to Captain Underwood were that the larger box was for the Canterbury Society and the small one for you. The conduct of the Society is to me the more extraordinary, that the large box contained at least as much as three of the smaller ones, and would not have been sent if I could have conveniently reached two others according with ray instruction. I trust you may meet with the success you deserve in your new undertaking, I am, in great haste, faithfully yours, H. Howard, Mr A. M. Johnson. Copies of telegrams received by me on board Arawata— (1) Send on a couple boxes of salmon ova in charge of captain to Accli • matisation Society Christchurch. J. Macandrew. (2) In addition to two boxes for Canterbury Acclimatisation Society send a box to A. M. Johnson, Opawa, J. Macandrew. Acclimatisation Society, June 10th, 1876. E. D. Thomas, Esq. Dear Sir—l have laid the papers forwarded by j r ou before the Council of the society, and it has been unanimously resolved that Mr Johnson may have a claim against the Curator of Wallacetown for a box of salmon-ova, but that he has no claim against the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society. I am, dear sir, yours faithfully, J. Cracroft Wilson, Chairman Canterbury Acclimatisation Society.