Puni Hall Affairs.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 246, 30 January 1917, Page 2

Puni Hall Affairs.

TO THE EDITOR.; Sir,—lt was not convenient for me to be present at the meeting convened for Tuesday last re the Puni Hall My wife and I were both members of the committee till recently, but we both resigned as we are leaving the district. Still, being interestei in the Hall affairs, I will thank you to allow me to make a few remarks through your valuable paper which I think will be of some interest to thi settlers of Puni, and wi 1 have a practical bearing on the Hall affairs. I may say that we hare both tried to the best of our ability to shear clear of the "party" strife that exists ia Puni. However, it hai come to my ears that one of the parties, because we signed the requisition c tiling a public meeting requesting the present office-bearers to resign, is circulating a report to the effect that we are taking part along with Mr Fulton to drive his opponent out of the trusteeship. I wish to state emphatically that we did not sign that requisition through any party spirit, but solely for' the good of the Hall. When we signed that requisition things had come to a deadlock. The contractor had left the hall unfinished because accounts dne to him had not been paid, and other creditors were requesting a settlement of their accounts. The matter still remains in that state, and I may add it is a laughing stock to everybody, a disgrace to the committee, and a reproach to the settlers of Puni. It was to try to remove t'.is state of affairs that we signed that requisition. In reading your report' of the meeting I notice Mr Harvie says that no chirge has been made against the officials and there- •

fore there could ba n> - defence. I would suggest that Mr Harvie'i suggestion should be complied with, and that a charge of incompetency or want of interest in the Hall affairs should be brought against the office-bearers. Such would be supported by the following facts: Some time ago the committee made arrangements with the National Bank to borrow a sum of money on a joint and several guarantee, on which the Bank was willing to make an advance. Had this been complied with the present degrading position would have been avoided and the hall completed. Further evidence against the officials is the fact that they have neglected to acquire the freehold of the section upon which the hall is built All that they hare done is to pay a x £s deposit. They have never completed the purchase of the section, aHhoogh I /have warned them about it on several occasions. I suppose they are subject to a fine for not completing the sale long before this, and now they may have considerable difficulty before the freehold is acquired. There are conditions upon which the section was granted which will have to be complied with. However, I have done my beat to conserve the interests of the hall. There are other matters that I would have gone into, but I am afraid to trespass farther upon your valuable space. Trusting that the settlers of Puni will rise to the occasion to see that justice and right is done and that they will soar above this pirty bickering and strife, I am, etc, Wm. WHINWBAY. Puni, 27th January, 1917.

P.S —I don't mean that the want of competence or interest in the hall affairs refers to all the office-bearers, but it undoubtedly does to a vary small majority.