ROTORUA SEAT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 84, 30 November 1931, Page 7

ROTORUA SEAT

M. H.

HAMPSON.

(To the Editor.) Sir, — Owing to my absence from Rotorua, I knew nothing of the correspondence on the above matter until this (Saturday) morning. Mr. Richards is wrong in his facts and Old-Timer is correct. The freehold fight commenced in 1909, when in response to the Government's notification that Rotorua citizens would have to contribute to the upkeep of the town, the Chamber of Commerce laid down the principle that local control would not be accepted without an optional tenure. The first stage of the fight lasted for many years until the Rotorua Town Act was passed. The late Messrs J. R. Raw, David Gardner, and J. N. McLean were in the thick of the fight throughout. The second stage was when we insisted on a right of appeal against the Government valuation. In this fairly short, but very strenuous and indeed bitter contest, Mr. J. N. McLean and the late D'r. Thomas McDonald took a prominent part, but the most valuable service was that given by Mr. F. F. Hockley. At no* time did Mr. C. H. Clinkard give any help in either of these stages. The third and final stage was the fight in the special Assessment Court, when Mr. Coutts appealed for the Valuation Department. The test case, which liad down the basic principles of the valuation, was condueted by me; the "volume of evidenee" placed before that Court was "prepared and marshalled." (I quote Mr Richard's words) by myself; and in it I neither asked for nor was offered any help by Mr. Clinkard. The success of that case was due entirely to Mr. Vaile's efforts. Verification of the above facts can be had from Mr. Coutts, who has often talked with me since over what he considered the most important fight he ever had. The future of Rotorua largely depended on Mr. Vaile in that fight, and to suggest that the small fee he received was commensurate with his work is not only ridiculous, but most ungenerous. In point of fact, Mr. Vaile only acted as Rotorua's assessor on the urgent persuasion of a few of us who had ■ been in the fight from the start, and who knew how vital was the issue. The final argument that induced him to act was the suggestion that it was not worth his while finaneially, but our committee would make it up to a reasonable fee. He told us to keep our money in our pockets and he would take it on. The real value of his work will be estimated better in the next decade. On the political platform Mr. Clinkard derided the option of the freehold; said that its value to Rotorua was nil; and that it had been brought about by the efforts of a few to bene'fit themselves finaneially thereby. This gross injustice to those who had freely and gratuitously worked for 20 years for the good of Rotorua, divert- . ed a lot of sympathy from Mr. Clin- , kard. No expression of regret, or correction of his error, has ever f allen from

Mr. Clinkard's lips. Some old history is best forgotten. It is, however, too much to expect those of us who know the facts to keep quiet, when the real value of service such as Mr. Vaile's is deeried, and "gratitude" is claimed in this connection from Rotorua citizens for Mr. Clinkard. — I

am, etc.,

Rotorua, 28/11/31. s * —