MAJOR ATKINSON.

Patea Mail, 21 June 1881, Page 3

MAJOR ATKINSON.

Sin, —The Honorable Major Atkinson has, I observe, written a very’ characteristic letter to your contemporary, the Hawera Star, and to the Mail, in re ray late meeting. I beg to congratulate the lion, gentleman upon the promptitude he has displayed, and to express the hope that at last he has awakened to some display of interest in the actions of his constituents. 1 regret, however, that this activity was not made more manifest before, in respect of the numerous matters brought under his notice—by way of petitions and otherwise. The allusion to the approaching general election, and the work he is now about to undertake for the district, is curious and instructive. There is nothing particularly new in the hon. gentleman’s request to his constituents to “ suspend judgment.” That is what he has evidently’ desired ever since 1872, a suspension of judgment and “ political rest.” This has been conceded to him to the great and permanent injury of the district. The hon. gentleman first states that my conduct is “fair and above board,” and then goes on to insinuate that it is not so. Does he wish my judgment to be “ suspended ” upon this point ? If so, I must disappoint him. And I must at once re" ject the theory that my action will impede the action of the hon. gentleman in his (now) pledged endeavor “to obtain some further help from Parliament for that important and necessaiy work, the Patea Harbor.” If the particular time of ray address was “unfortunate in the interests of the district,” I have only to say that it would have taken place earlier if the hon. member had protected the public interest in the matter of the Town Hall land grant. The hall having naturally fallen into private hands was not available to the public for a long time. The earliest opportunity was seized to hold the meeting. Further, I understood the hon. gentleman to challenge any one at anytime, to come forward and refute his statements. The appeal to his constituents “ not to prejudge an absent man ’ would, under ordinary circumstances, be reasonable enough, but in this case it is simply asking people not to credit the evidence of their own senses. Sir, the hon. gentleman should know -that if he is personally absent the result of his neglect and mismanagement is ever apparent. The hon. gentleman states that his reply to my charges shall be clear and definite. In

order to simplify that undertaking, I will at an early date epitomise my charges and publish them. Meantime the hon. gentleman may rest assured that the days of suspended judgment and political rest have passed away;—l am, &c., G. F. Sherwood,