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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1140, 23 March 1872, Page 2

Mr John White, of Hokitika, though to memory dear, has for some time past been lest to sight as a contributor to the columns of the local Press. His once familiar name, at any rate, has not by its appearance honored the columns of the papers published in the town for which his pen has done some good service, and, from the character of the correspondence which tho same oolumns have lately contained, we cannot suspect .him of. being, in any one instance, anonymously its author. There must either have been a lack of public grievances in Hokitika, or a lack of elbow-grease on the part of Mr White. He has, at last, however, found a griovance not in his representative capacity, nor particularly as a private citizen, but as " Secretary for the Easter Sports Committee." And the occasion for his grieving ha 3 been given, it appears, by a paragraph which was published in this journal relating to these sports, in connection with which he is, fortunately for their success, the Committee's secretary. The paragraph was a very small one, ,and not meant to be animated by any evil spirit, but, written at a time when racing was in Greymonth, after all the exertions that bad been made, rather a nauseous subject, it referred to " The Westland Handicap" advertised by the Committee, as rather a large name for a small event, and suggested that the inducements otherwise offered would not be sufficient for the owners of horses engaged at Greymo'ith — especially, it might have been added, after their experience — to keep them on the Coast until Easter. The Committee "of the Sports, according to the Secretary's statement, considered that this paragraph should not be allowed to pass unnoticed, and directed him to write " in explanation." It is due to Mr White to say that the Committee's " direction" does not seem to have been dilatorily dealt with by him, nor does he fail in the magnificence of his conception of what constitutes an "explanation." In making his- explanation Mr White opens a good deal of ground, and takes much for granted which we fail to see is exactly supported by facts. Imprimis Mr White ! discovers that this short paragraph ," teems with sneers" at the efforts of the Hokitika people to provide for themselves and their country friends recreation during the forthcoming holidays, and he considers that "criticism of their programme might have been left to subscribers . and those directly interested in the sports," and that the taste of the Andes in thus "criticising and sneering" is somewhat questionable, "all circumstances considered." Ingeniously identifying the "adverse criticism" of the Argus with the " application for the postponement of the Supreme Court sittings by the Greymouth Jockey Club," Mr White is "forcibly reminded of the folly and self-inflation which the weaker portion of humanity "—we presume he means the fair sex — "invariably exhibit when suddenly overtaken by good fortune." And so on. But the circumstances to which Mr White more or less distinctly refers is the recent, and, we can assure even Mr White, riot easily forgotten indebtedness of Greymouth to Hokitika for its liberality in connection with the distress caused ty the flood. Greymouth, as represented by the Argus, is twitted with disappointing— nay "egregiously deceiving"—the expectation of Hokitika "that < any notice emanating from the Grey- ' mouth Press would be of a friendly character." Now, we may say at once that nothing could be further from our desire than the exhibition of a feeling of an unfriendly character, and we should be sorry if any simple paragraph could, at this particular time, be construed as representing the feeling, of Greymouth to be anything but friendly and full of gratitude. In supposing or suggesting

anything else, Mr White has drawn a conclusion the haste of which, and the hotnesßwithwhich.it is expressed, will, no doubt, indue time be demomtrated. ; There has, it is true, not yet been proper public recognition of the liberality of the inhabitants of Hokitika and of other towns in the Colony towards Grey"mputh> and in ,-tlief absence of that Mr White may be forgiven his, quick and clever seizure upon a paragraph representing, as he thinks, an opposite feeling to that which should prevail, but that is a matter which ia not ; neglected in spirit, nor will it be in deed. The Relief Committee have yet their report to place before the public, and it has been more in a spirit of deference to them, and to the position which they occupy towards the subscribers, that we have not oftener referred to the universal surprise and satisfaction at the efforts made elsewhere to afford relief to local sufferers. We hope we have said enough to satisfy Mr White in this matter, both as Secretary to the Sports Committee, and as Secretary to- the. Relief Committee, for in spirit he writes as the latter, though it is as the former that he signs his name. With regard to the application for the postponement of the Supremo : Court sittings, that is a matter which concerns solely the Jockey Club or their indefatigable Secretary. It may just be said that there was not much wisdom on the one side in selecting a well-recognised general holicbiy in these parts for the opening of .the Supreme Court, and it. may nfirfeunly be said that there was less wisdom in anyone, on the plea put forth, asking for that selection to be abandoned when it; was once made. We shall next expect to hear of a Jockey Club imagining itself Joshua, and requesting the sun to stand still. As an assurance to Mr White and the Committee under whose direction he avowedly acta, we shall close this reference to a mistaken matter by giving them an advertisement free of cost. Mr White, as part of his "explanation," states: — "The total amount offered in prizes by the Committee is L 215, and I am to explain that the amount would have been much larger but for the fact that within the last few weeks no less a sum than LGOO has been collected in the town of Hokitika for divers charitable objects. The amount, however, is ample to provide all that the Easter Sports Committee aim at providing, and tha^ is two genuine horse-racing on Easter Monday and Tuesday next." There is some explanation wanted as to the last sentence— evidently the fault of the printers Whatever may be the meaning, Mr White has our congratulations that he can at least promise something in the way of racing that is "genuine." •