A CORRECTION.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 960, 17 November 1882, Page 2

A CORRECTION.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —In the report of the harbor conference, an error occurred in the printing which may be disagreeable to those who know the particular facts. In the dispute which occurred between two speakers as to whether the harbor works could have been continued by selling certain reserves instead of leasing them, your printed report makes the Mayor say that they could not be sold without a breach of faith, and that Mr Milroy affirmed they could be sold. What the two speakers said was exaetty the opposite of this ; it was the Mayor who affirmed that he could have continued the works by selling those reserves, and it was Mr Milroy who denied that they could have been sold without a breach of faith. Many townsmen will remember that this is an old and rather bitter controversy, as was shown by one or two speakers twitting the Mayor with having promised to resume the harbor works and yet failing to dp so, while his answer has always been that by the Harbor Board leasing the available reserves instead of selling them, ho was deprived of the means of carrying out his promise. I regret, with other townsmen, that such a difference should have arisen between useful local leaders who might do much by acting together, but who can do no good to themselves or anybody by checkmating each .ether at every move in public matters. Among Patea politicians, there is not enough of the healthy practice of give-and-take, Public good is sacrificed to personal rivalry, not by all local politicians, but by too many. Their combined strength could, I believe, accomplish great things, including a good harbor. It is not too late to try intelligent combination.— Yours, &c., E. Houghton.