A CHALLENGE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 716, 16 July 1929, Page 10

A CHALLENGE

IF Colonel T. H. Dawson’s confidence in tlie justice of liis recent attack on Mr. 11. E. Vaile is as sincere as his eagerness that a cenotaph should he erected in front of the new War Memorial Museum, he will waste no time in taking up a challenge made today by Mr. Vaile, who offers £IOO toward the provision of a cenotaph if the allegations made against him can be proven. Jointly cited with Colonel Dawson is Mr. A. S. Bankart who, as chairman of the Citizens’ War Memorial Committee, should jump at this opportunity to harvest £IOO for the cause. If the support lent by Mr. Bankart to Colonel Dawson had a basis of accuracy, the money is there for the taking. If not, then as a reputable citizen, it is his duty to make retraction of an unfortunate error. This controversy was initiated under peculiar circumstances. Mr. Vaile was a candidate for the mayoralty at the election on May 1. On April 26 Mr. Bankart, who had hitherto taken no part in the campaign, made a public statement charging the Institute and Museum Council, of which Mr. Vaile is chairman, with responsibility for ordering '‘extras” and thus absorbing money which might better have been applied to sustaining the true war memorial character of the building. Mr. Vaile immediately replied to this statement, but on the eve of the poll Colonel Dawson, speaking at the annual meeting of the Returned Soldiers’ Association, made what has been interpreted as a damaging statement. This was printed in the morning paper on the actual day of the poll. In subsequent correspondence between the parties concerned, Colonel Dawson gave Mr. Bankart as his authority for the charges he had made. Mr. Vaile denied the truth of them, but has pressed without success for a retraction. His challenge in terms of cash gives Colonel Dawson and Mr. Bankart an opportunity to substantiate their statements and at the same time aid a deserving cause. If they do not choose, or are unable, to do so, the public must draw its own conclusions.