MR TURNBULL’S MEETING.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2548, 21 May 1881, Page 2

MR TURNBULL’S MEETING.

[to the editor.] Sir, —In your issue oE yesterday, in reporting the speeches delivered at Mr Turnbull’s meeting on the evening of the 19th,1 am represented as having said, “ There was one thing he would draw their attention to, and that was, that their Member had obtained a grant of 32,000acres,which was alienated from the Crown for educational purposes, and over which Mr Turnbull had been made a trustee, and he would be enabled to inform them what had been done with it. In regard to selling it at £2 per acre it was on absurdity, as it could bo bought and kept for sheep runs.” Now, Sir, not one word of the above is correct, it must have been hatched in the mind of your reporter. What I did say was as follows : “ When Mr Turnbull was soliciting their votes eighteen months ago, he told them there were 32,000,000 acres of land tmalienated from the Crown. They elected him as a trustee of this vast estate, and they now looked for an account of his stewardship, and what was likely to be his future conduct in reference to this large estate. Most of them would be aware that nearly if not all the land worth buying in this district is already bought, and to hold the rest in the hope of obtaining £2 per acre was an absurdity —was simply locking it up in sheep runs. It was high time the Legislature set about revaluing the lands that might be sold for what they were worth. I did not know what Mr Turnbull’s opinion was on this matter. I merely mentioned the matter to bring it before him. It seemed quite unnecessary for the Legislature to impose more taxes upon the country while they had such an estate to deal with.” Now on comparing your report with what I did say, you will see they differ so much that I can hardly think it was a mere mistake in reporting. Your reporter must have done it on purpose to destroy the meaning I wished to convey.—l am &c., J. H. SUTTER. [The reporter referred to is not one of our permanent staff. He assures us the noise made by those entering the room at the time prevented him catching the exact words used by the speaker. On reflection, Captain Sutter must feel that his last remark is undeserved. Reporters make enough mistakes, without being wilfully guilty of therna —Ed. S. C. Times.]