COATS—COLOURED AND OTHERWISE.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 29 May 1912, Page 3

COATS—COLOURED AND OTHERWISE.

TO THE EDITOR,

Sir, —Your correspondent, Mr J. McLeod will persist in identifying me with his various quarrels with the Chairman of the Town Board; and therefore although Mr McLeod's latest communication is, I suppose, really meant and is no doubt considered by him, to be an eye-opener for Mr Jas. Stewart, still he had to let "a few droppings fall on me " even me —so be it.

I don't propose to wasto any time in discussing Mr McLeod's alleged proofs as furnished in reference to the £50 challenge (which, by the way, Mr MeLeod never took up), but I propose to have something to say about coats and their colour. Before doing so however, I would point out that the main references of my last letter concerning Mr MeLeod, still stand good, and that he has made no attempt to disprove them ; I refer to the display he made of himself at the meeting in the Foresters' Hall as a speaker with an utter absence of logic and a disregard of reliability as to his statements. Also, I want to know how far either Mr Smith or Mr .V&ckman are going to help him in reference to his letter to the " Auckland Sf&r " of May 3rd. The simple fact of the matter is that Mr MeLeod is an adept at, rside stepping any point or points which prove awkward or unegotiable, and thinks that by simple shifting his ground, he is doing alright. About the only straight answer he has given me throughout this correspondence, has been his refusal to accept mv chal. lenge to resign his seat on the Board, and contest it with me,—that, I will admit, was definite—and I am afraid that Mr MeLeod has been verj angry with me for my presumption ever since. However he can console himself with the old saw, " That fools rush in where angels fear to tread,"

Coming to the subject of coats, I may mention incidentally, that the only man in Helensville who ever tried to induce me to change the colour of my coat was Mr McLeod, and he failed. I am not saying anything more about it than that, but he will understand.

In reference to what I may call Mr McLeod's "Helensville .South" coat however, I would like to ask him a straight question and would like him to give me, through the medium of your paper, a straight answer. A little over four years ago, there was a very considerable amount of feeling between the North and South ends of Helonsvillo Township, over the question of the Post Office site, One end of the township working to get the new Post office erected at or near the Worth Station, the other ond, (comprising nearly all ihe Helensville South people) battling to get it erected on the central or present site, Tn March, 1008, Sir Josoph Ward (then Premier) visited Helensville, and deputiticns representing both sides waited on him in reference to this most important matter. "We all know how it ended eventually, the Post Office today speaks for itself. 1 have before me a copy of the Ivah-ara Advertiser for March 11 th, 1908, giving practically a verbatim report of all tho busi- j ness brought before Sir Joseph "Ward ! on that visit: there are speeches by j various individuals in reference to the Post Office site recorded, but not a word by of from Mr McLeod assisting j the Helensville South people in this ! matter. Taking into consideration Mr McLeod'a rnanj- assurances (very prominently raeutioned lately) as to his long standing and affectionate interest in the South end of the township, how does Mr McLeod accouut for his .defection on this occasion ? Was it because Mr McLeod was at that time in . business at the North end of the township ? And as a matter of fact, was Mr McLeod as solicitous for the welfare of the South end during his stay in the Terminus Hotel as ho suggests he is now'? I don't suppose, Mr Editor, that Joseph liked parting with his pretty coat when his brethren took it from him, but in the present case it seems to me that Mr McLeod has altogether the best right to it, eh what! Such is life, I have never built any Technical Schools nor Public Libraries, etc., etc., and now I must evon lose my coat. As the Scripture says : To him that hath it shall be given, and to him that hath not shall be taken away, oven that that he hath. Yours faithi'u'ly Jok Ei-:a.