Puni Public Hall.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 238, 29 December 1916, Page 3

Puni Public Hall.

fTO THE EDITOR.]

Sir,—The purpose of Mr R. Fulton's letter in your issue of the 19th inst is undoubtedly one of causing trouble. His expressed wish that a meeting of " subscribers " should be convened to consider the position cannot do anything else if literally carried into effect. Mr Fulton knows as well as I do that the matter of title in connection with the hall was gone into thoroughly and that his proposal of making an Unlimited Liability Company of the project, with a provision that the number of votes a subscriber had should be according to the number of pounds sterling he subscribed, was defeated and the proposal that the hall should be a public hall vested in trustees on behalf of the residents was carried with only one against it, the voting to be on the principle of one man one vote for all residents. This in itself should be sufficient and Mr Fulton should be a "sport" and take his defeat as a " spoit" would do, instead of trying to engender a party feeling. I will admit Mr Fulton made a good move when he with two others, Messrs Parkinson and Black (this one a trustee), canvassed the district and thus obtained an idea of what the support would be in connection with building a hall. The matter was then, however, different to what it is now and Mr Fulton hoped to have the preponderance of voting power with votes according to the scheme as previously mentioned, a scheme that evidently he still in some way hopes to force on to the residents of this district. If this is not so why does he wish to convene a meeting of subscribers only ? There are many subscribers who are not residents but why bring them in? They have given voluntarily and can hardly wish to be mixed up in an affair that, to them, will appear a district rather than a general matter of interest.

Again, why should Mr v Fulton stir up trouble? When the committee wished to nominate him and support his nomination what did he do ? He was willing to accept the position until he suddenly discovered that a risk was attached to the holding of it. Straightway he wished to resign but the next committee meeting saw him reversing his decision as meantime he found out what had been previously told to him in committee, that the risk was nothing, and that the position was rather one of honour.

In regard to the material for which he gave his word to the merchant and so made himself liable, he really slurs the whole committee in the matter, as the whole procedure was gone into and the committee, acting for the residents, took over this liability, but the contractor's authority for Mr Fulton to be paid out of contract money due, and, I suppose, which Mr Fulton received is not yet in the committee's hands. But I have said sufficient. The need for a letter of this kind should not be. My personal interest in this matter is small. Indeed, with happenings such as this it is likely to become smaller; but it is only right that the facts of the case should become public property so that each one can clearly understand and thus judge the position. A broader view of things is what is wanted in Puni, and then the district as a whole will benefit.

Hoping that you will insert this and thanking you for same in anticipation, Pain, etc., W. E. HARVIE. Puni, 20th December, 1916.