TO THE EDITOR.

Patea Mail, 15 July 1880, Page 3

TO THE EDITOR.

[Correspondents arc invited to discuss matters of public interest with fairness and brevity; this journal being an impartial medium of discussion and advocacy for all affairs relating to the County of Patea.] THE RIFLE SHOOTING. Sin, —Your Waverley correspondent writing of the shooting match lias not been properly informed as to the facts. Part of the Patea team did fire on Tuesday, and the reason the whole team did not fire on that day was not on account of the inclemency of the weather, as he says, but because the morning squad found the targets had been blown down by the gale prevailing on the Monday. Finding it impossible to erect them and conclude firing before business hours, they had of necessity to postpone firing till Wednesday. If the Waverlcy Riflemen feel aggrieved at our morning squad having fired on Wednesday, we are willing to forego the honour of calling ourselves victors, and to fire the match again.—l am, &c., A. Ksno. Patea, 14tli. Sec. Match Committee.

GOVERNMENT AGENTS. Sin, —Reading Mr Bryce’s speech in your columns of June 22nd, re Native affairs on West Coast, he says: “The Land Purchase Agent was now in business with his son, and a good many of the advances made by the agent had been made out of their store in the shape of buggies, harness, and other tilings.” Can such a thing bo that that agent can now be in the employ of the Government ? Can you throw any lighten that great land purchase of a few speculators a while ago at Waitotara, whether the Government took it from the speculators or not, and at what figure ; and if that same agent referred to was making advances in the same way for the speculators, and then again for the Government?—lam,&c. Enquirer.