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Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 277, 8 December 1877, Page 2

THE KBTEMARAE SMALL FARM ASSOCIATION. (From the Wanganui Herald.') Hawera, Dec. 4.

“ The Taranaki Waste Land Board are not treating the Kctemarae Small Farm Association well. The Board held out expectations that the Association were to have 20,000 acres, but to-day evidently intend to throw over the Association in favor of a New Plymouth speculator, who has applied for the same block. Great indignation felt, as it is evident one New Plymouth man is of more importance than 200 members of the Association. High time the administration of Waste Lands handed to County Council.” Considering that the Chairman of the Small Farm Association happens to be the recognised correspondent of the Wanganui Herald, we consider that he should, in common fairness, have supplied this paper with a copy of the above telegram at the time he sent to the Herald. It only required the writing of three more words and would have incurred no expense to the sender. The information came to him as Chairman of the Association, and not as correspondent to the Herald. And if it was right for the one paper to have had it, there can be no question but that the Patea County paper was equally entitled to the information. The favoritism thus shown was neither fair to this paper nor to the shareholders resident in this County. Having thus unfairly served his own ends, at the sacrifice, of Patea County shareholders, the Chairman has (wc suppose we must be thankful), forwarded for publication, what can only be now looked upon as stale news —namely, a copy of telegram, of which that published in last Tuesday’s Wanganui Herald was the basis. Having strongly advocated the claims of the Association, and taken the trouble to have a special reporter present at the first meeting, we scarcely like being made a tool of, and publishing the stale news which the Chairman of the Small Farm Association and recognised reporter of the Wanganui Herald has now sent, especially as it is probable, judging by the telegram treatment, that as correspondent to the Herald, Mr King has sent the particulars which are now offered for publication in the Mail to the paper he represents. Fair play is bonny play.