CARNARVON.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 7, 16 November 1878, Page 3

CARNARVON.

[iraoM OT*« O*^ OC*«BBSPOOT)_WT.3 I am sorry to have to send you a let-. ter of this kind. lam obliged to do so m order to vindicate myself of imputa-. -jions cast upon me m a dastardly manner. I notice that yonr contemporary the Advocate, of the 28th ultimo, dontains an opprobious letter signed "H. Dawson/' tot which the writer takes great credit to himself. He intends to correct " a few misstatements made " by me m my last to you. Why the 74dvQ.cateha,s been chosen m which to correct me and vent his. ire, matters perhaps little, at the same time -common courtesy always grants to anyone the same rights and to stand on the same ground as the aggressor, for fairness fake. This courtesy Mr Dawson is roid of. I will now show if "many if not all " my " assertions are the opposite of truth." In glancing down his letter I came, first, to the matter of the Germans. The way he speaks of them and tne whole question niust naturally lead, those unacquainted with the facts to ts,e conclusion that Mr Dawson has been grossly misrepresented. He seems to place maters, so plainly that there is no doubt left o% the. correctness he is so anxious to establish. % must nevertheless remain incorrigible. Mr Dawson fcnowa that many "did not know what they had heen sent up for^ and what Was required of theini," as | learned Tol-Warily fron these people direct. He perverts my saymg '<ih ignorance/ and construes - it so as to. appear m his letter to mean, ignorance of a general character. Their want of knowledge on local poUtics ia only m the order of things i these men have not been above two years m .the Colony.. On arrival tbey- were sent np here. They knew nothing of the. language or ofthe people amongst whom they came. They had to work— very hard— to scrape a little together, so as to. live and not merely •xist.c They had no time nor interest to trouble themselves about other mat-; tors, consequently they were ignorant' of what was wanted of themynotwithstanding. a sufficient knowledge of the toguagef* to, transact bnsiness." The patronage Mr Dawson would extendi to these people is unnecessary,, as they are not at all m. need of it j n#>_-e. especially if they arejjso independent as he tells us. If writing m their own language they would not exhibit snch gross ignorance as he does when he attempts to; quote, and breaks, down with ijfc. refer to where, he. would make me say—"Germans who wcordtfd.'V&c. | go on to where he makes a. kind of threat. The sentence containing it is decidedly more appropriate amended thns : ; ''The less Mr Dawson, has to, say, on this subject be better for hjuiself, r as these Germans have informed, me of the nature of j their conversation with, the,.- gentleman who " brought them, un to rote/ I now come to where! have again misstated' ■<•• Messrs Douglas & C0.,"t0 the. effect that they have had the " Ijon's share" of the rates. Ib that really soP I am very sorry thuja I have to prove- Mr DawsOh making; nusstajements,. and that by his own ngures. I must draw attention to- a of- my letter which. Mr Dawson has <?arefully overlooked. I refer to, where I sa^id that the bulk of the rates these lait two years., had been spent there. Why does Mr Dawson carefully avoid 1 that part of 'my letter-P Why does he lay hold of the words *! KonV share " onlyP To jnstify: himsj^U bejEow the eyes of others ip. wiiite-

washed righteousness. Observe: he would claim every penny of what the estate contributed with Government aid, and kindly leaves its share of working expenses for that amount to be deducted from the rest of the rates. Now, 1 ask the ratepayers to deduct what has been spent there these two years-^-takiug his own figures, -SBB6 16s 6d— f rom the rates, with Govern* ment equivalent for the same time, You will find but a small balance, and that the amount above is a long ways the bulk ; dednct working and other expenses from this Ward's rates and there will be but a small balance indeed. I have nothing whatever to do with what rates- Douglas & Co. have contri*. buted to the ooffers of the Board since they paid rates. I asserted m my former letter that they had the "lion's share "those two years, which I assert again. Another point Mr. Dawson overlooks m my letter — and I am afraid, studiously— is where I state that this year's rates are already mortgaged, all but something like £150, on contracts let m the Douglas Block (I take these figures because Mr Dawson made use of them). I pass on to "another illustration" qi " my ignorance " m writing on subjects "I know nothing about " — re special settlement. It matters little who the judges are, I only assert, as I did before, that the clauses have not been complied with, or have been allowed to be set aside to the advantage of some. Mr Dawson's statement that the Special Settlement Block is open to all, is devoid of truth. In looking over the clauses I see certain rules and conditions laid down which it is necessary to comply with, and I see by them that "all" cannot take up land. I have been told so by men who applied, but were refused because the clauses prohibited them } and I am also perfectly aware that individuals m precisely the same circumstances were allowed to take up sections. Now, who is devoid of truth P Certainly not the Correspondent. Why Mr Dawson should have ts\t himself particularly attacked I cati't see. The only reason may be that it is not always pleasant to hear the truth, hence that gentleman's outburst of virtuous indignation, bristling with scurrilous remarks and foul insinuations, worthy af the man who teeks to damage by any means.