AN AMAZING LETTER

Hokitika Guardian, 31 May 1921, Page 1

AN AMAZING LETTER

FLYING NO FLAG ON ANZAC DAY

“.MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS.”

SYDNEY, May 18.

Th 0 municipality of Petersham (Sydney) is gasping. The citizens of the State are amazed at a letter sent out over the signature of the city town clerk (Mr T. If. Nesbitt), who is known to be an ultra-loyalist and English University man and a barrister. For the benefit of bis friends in New Zealand, attached is a copy of a letter which lie lias forwarded to the town clerk of Petersham in reply to a resolution passed by the Petersham Council expressing disagreement with the action of the Lord Mayor in refraining from flying a flag on Anr.ac Day. MATTER OF SUPREME INDIFFERENCE. After formally acknowledging the letter and informing the Petersham Council that they had no “locus standi” in the matter, the Town Clerk went on: “As far as the Lord Mayor and the Ctv Council arc concerned, it is quite -immaterial and a matter of supreme indifference bordering on utter contempt as to what views or opinions, erroneous or otherwise, are entertained by the council of Petersham. Whether the council agrees or disagrees is a matter of no consequence whatever. Such disagreement will not cause the slightest concern or occasion any perturbation of mind or one moment’s loss of sleep to any member of the City Council. Consequently any self-inflated imaginative ideas which the Municipal Council may possess as to the value of its expression may at once lie dismissed as being altogether outside the controversial arena in relation to the particular question under review.

/RB A zfn-faofd BFSYBODY. Again—“ When disposed to leave the beaten track of its own operations to act the part of a brazen-faced busybody in interfering with the business of other people that no unsolicited expression of opinion, agreement or disagreement on the part of the council of Petersham in its extrardinary endeavour to achieve notoriety—will have the slightest deterrent effect on the City Council.” The Town Clerk then referred to petersham “wrapped up in its own self-donceit and self-inflated importance” who “oould only be truthfully characterised and stigmatised ns brazen-faced impudence arising 'from abysmal ignorance” had taken up a position “which being false and metetricious in its premises and consequently is notorious and unenviable.” FNPBFCEDFNTFD PRFSFAIPTTON The Town Clerk, after belittling the importance of Petersham, referred to its “unprecedented presumption and gross impertinence” in “deliberately exceeding its powers and pompously nrrogatin" to itself mentorial functions which it. is not likely to possess except in its own fertile imagination.” ATr Nesbitt found that the action of Petersham was a striking instance which conclusively demonstrated the deplorable ignorance and low mentality of the local council which should not officiously interfere or impudently presume to meddle with the City Council. The sting lay in the tail of the letter, which was as follows: Tn other words, in plain, unoquivooablc, straightforward English, free from hyperbole, camouflage or ambiguity, T am to tell your council to mind its own business.” Some of the sentences, all of which were ponderous and flambuoyant, contained upwards of 250 words. Tim ATavor of Petersham declined to officially receive the letter. He marked across it in red ink “‘Refused and re--1 turned.”