Correspondence.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 369, 19 April 1866, Page 2

Correspondence.

*** tVc do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by correspondents. *,*

[To the Editor of the Hawke’s Bay Times J SiE, —I observe in your journal to-day some strictures upon the manner m which the jurors appointed by the New Zealand Exhibition Commissioners have exercised their discretion in making the awards in the shape of medals and honorary certificates. Should you forward a copy to Dr Eccles, the Secretary at Dunedin, I have no doubt ho will be happy to refer rour opinions to the Commissioners for consideration. I regret with you that Mr Morrison’s clever model of a life-boat should not have received a certificate or medal. In writing to Dr Eccles by this mail, I said “ that I feared that the jurors could not have had a full description of the principle which Mr Morrison had illustrated in his model, and that it had perhaps on that account not had such a critical examination as its merits warranted.” I don’t know how this may be, but 1 understood Mr Morrison, after the exhibits had left Napier, that he had given our agent a proper description. That being the case, I did not think it necessary to get another to send to the Secretary. The “ model” was not packed with our general exhibits, as it was only given into the agent’s hands at the last moment, as the steamer was leaving. The ill-judged remarks of your correspondent who signs himself “A Working Man” scarcely deserve notice. X may observe, however, that Mr Morrison never made any claim foi remuneration for his trouble in making the model, and that the glass-case, or, at any rate, the sum named by Mr Morrison as due to him for it, was paid by me out of the Committee funds. It and several other cases furnished from the same source were sold by the agent in charge at Dunedin, though not quite in accordance with my instructions, and I regret that that containing the life-boat was not returned. Tho editor of the Hawke’s Bay Herald has the loan of the volume containing “Jurors’ Eeports,” &e., to make extracts from. When he has done with it, 1 have promised to lend it to MrColenso; if you wish to look through it after him, I shall be happy to lend it to you. Mr Morrison’s model is mentioned in it, as are numerous other Hawke’s Bay exhibits, including many sent by parties belonging to different geological “strata” of society to that which your enlightened correspondent is pleased to call the “ upper crust.”—l am, &c., JOHN WILKINSON, Chairman Hawke's Bay Local Committee New Zealand Exhibition. P.S.—Probably, if Mr Morrison thought well, it might be the means of giving his plan publicity to exhibit the model at the Athenaeum, with a printed description attached.