CROWN-LAND RATES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 2, 18 January 1937, Page 5

CROWN-LAND RATES

The County Reply to Mr, Barnard "I have read the Hon. W. E. B&im nard's reply to the county chairman's statement On Crown land rites and wish to remove any confusion which his explanation may have caused in the nninds of your readers," said Mr. W. J# O'Connell, clerk of the Hawke 's Bay County Council, this morning in an in* terview with th© "Herald-Tribune." "When Mr. Logan (county chain ,man), in referring to the remarks made by Mr. Barnard td the Minister of Lands, stated that 'Mr. Barnard has of his own volition reopened the contro-t versy, ' he made a statement of fact," udded Mr. O'Connell. "In his reply Mr. Barnard statei 'that Mr. Logan will be pleased,' etc. "I have had the opportunity to diw cover the effect this statement has had on many readers. And it is this: that the inference is that I had furnished a 'carefully prepared brief ' for Mr. Barnard to present to the visiting Mitiieter without the knowledge of the eounty chairman. The only documetit that Mr. Barnard could possibly refer to as a brief was a letter written tq him by the council on January 18, 1936 (nearly twelve months before the Minister 's visit), in which he WaS ask"* ed among other things to bring thei matter of unpaid rates on Crown lands before the notice of the Government"Coneerning the Minister 's Tecent visit to Napier, I have had no diacussion or communication whatever with' Mr. Barnard."