CORRESPONDENCE

Horowhenua Chronicle, 16 September 1916, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE

TOur correspondents' opinions are their own: the responsibility of editorial ones ma ices sudicie.nt ballast for the editor's shoiuders.j

HOROWHENUA LAKE ACT. Sir, —In your paper of the 14th inst

is a letter over the name of Mr B. R

Gardiner, accusing Mr Kebbell and myself of being unfair and unjust. In

the correspondent read at the meeting o! the Horowhenua County Council last Saturday a letter was read from Mr W.

H. Field, M.P. tor Otaki. saying that clause 10, dealing with the lake, was struck out by the Lands Committee, and that it might be referred to the Native Affairs Committee. On the evening before it came before the Native Lands Committee for consideration

a petition was presented >by the Hon. •Dr. Potnare, sijvvd by a number of Levin natives, objecting to the clause. | ft was then too late to communicate with your with a view to the local I bodies .being represented before the [ Native Affairs Committee. Next TnoiU'.ng. however, 1 appeared before the committee and explained the position fully: that the natives' interests particularly as to lowering the lake, would receive more protection from the proposed measure than was secured them ti.ndior the Act of 1905. .As, however. I desired that the parties most interested, namely, the bodies above-mentioned and the natives, should meet face to face to face before th: l committee. I had tlie consideration of the clause and the natives' petition |ic-itpmiedi till next day, so as to give time for the attendance of the parties mentioned.

1 communicated with .Mr. Gardener (clerk to the borough council), and he with C'r. France appeared before the committee: ml so the natives and Mr. Jourdnin of the Lands "Department. Ihe .result- was that tho natives were satisfied .audi the committee recommended that the clause be passed into law. and added the words "and the Hokio stream" after the ' wordi "lake" in line 3 of subsection 2 of Tho Horowheniiii Lake Act, 1005. The clause with this addition was embodied in the bill and passed into law.

Xow. sir. yini will wo by the above tluit Mr. Gardener was communicated with, and lie with {>. Franco appeared before the com in it-toe ; but although the e'erk to the Hornwhonna Comity Council is housed in the same building as 'Mr. 0,-inlener, he was not advised of what was going 011 : and as the County Council was the governing body of the Hokio stream up till the time of the passing of the Act, I am utiil of the opinion that Mr. Field owed tlio County Council -a duty to advise them of what was being done: a duty wli.ich he failed to do.--Yours, etc., FRED. BETTER, County Councillor.