TENNIS CLUB.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 43372, 12 September 1908, Page 3

TENNIS CLUB.

To the Editor.

Dear ‘■fir, —Last year I had tne priviledge of asking, if there was a Tennis Club in Te Aroha but received no reply. This year, however, I have observed an advertisement calling for a meeiing of the Te Aroha Tennis Club signed by one as Secretary of that Club; so I suppose one does exist. I would like to know what members get for their membership fee ? I presume they pay one. Whether they have tournament or inter-club matches, and if so, why these matches are not reported. It seems to me it must be a sort of secret society. One thing more, is the Secretary a local man or one of the floating population, and is he a player.—l am, etc., A WOULD-BE-SIEMBEB.

[There is a Tennis Ciub at Te Aroha ; but no Tournament or inter-Clubimatches have taken place for a long time past.— Ed. News.]

To the Editor.

, Dear Sir, —Be the letter signed Garde rer, in your issue of the 9th inst., is it not better to own even an alphabetical name, of which one is not ashamed, than one (as in the gardener’s case) which a person is so ashamed of that they cannot sign it at the end of their letter. Gardener says, I appear to have Michael on the brain; a lot of my brain was I know shot away in action, in defence of my country, and more removed at the surgical operation, but still the little that is left is quite ernugh to fight gardener’s whole one. He (Gardener) goes on to say Commissions can be bought in “ the Army ” by which I take it he means, H.M.’s. Imperial Service. If he does mean this I can tell him at once hvis a liar. No Commissions can be obtained by purchase in H.M. Imperial Service, so gardener had better confine himself when writing, to a subject lie knows something about, and I defy him to mention any case (since purchase system was abolished) of a Commission having been bought and if he cannot do this he is what I called him a liar. I think Gardener is one of many that the following lines touch : ■if Wh»n War is threatened, and danger is nigh God and our soldiers is eveiyone’s cry; But when War is all over, and all things are righted Goi is forgotten, and our soldiers are slighted.

Gardener wishes to know how long I have been in Te Aroha f Long enough to b-' made a Justice of the Peace for the Dominion, and a Vice-President of our local Jockey Club. He goes on to ank, What right have I to object to people trying to get a living here ? No right whatever to objecting to anyone getting a living," but I have the right to stand up and see that justice is done to the weak when oppressed by the strong, as I did in the labourer’s case, and am still doing in

this case of Miss Michael, and if Gardener is an old resident here (as his letter appears to joint out) he ought to be ashamed of himself for not taking these pases up, leaving it to a recent arriyal Jike myself, and then running me down for doing it is not the act of a person wh"

has the interests of the people of Te Aroha at heart. I have yet to learn that a free born Britisher cannot express his opinion on a subject, simply because, in the eyes of Gardener, or anyone else, he has not lived long enough in the town or village in which he writes. No doubt

Gardener would like us all to run to him and say, please can I take this, that, or the other matter up, but I for one don’t intend to crawl (although I cannot walk very fast) or bow down to him or anyone else. If gardener will sign his, or her, name (as the case may be) I will reply, but I don’t feel obliged to answer letters written under a nom-de-plume, Let Gardener write in your next issue and tell us who bought a Commission (if he can, which I don’t believe he can) in the Imperial Army, and sign bis proper name to his letter, his statements might then be worth something; as they are, they are worthless, and his attack under a factitious name is a cowardly one. So keep your hair on Gardener (if you have any left). —I am, etc., K. F. W. Lyons-Moytgomery.

To the Editor. Sir, —In your issue of the Bth September, I see a letter from K. F. W. Lvons-Montgomery referring to the alleged ’dismissal of Miss Michael from the Government employ, also stating that it was hjsintention to keep the matter before 'Jrfo public until he got Mis* MichaeT reinstated. Now, sir, if I understand the position it is this —The Tourist Department made a regulation and was compelled to retire. Now, sir, the question arises who is going to run the Department ? the officials or the public ? I have been informed that Mr Montgomery is an ex army caption, and served with distinction, ( and I believe him to be a thoroughly honourable gentleman). Would the Captain ask himself the question, what his general would think if there was an order given and the officers and men turned round and said, “ this is an unjust order, we

will not obey it. ” What sort of an army would that be Captain ? Butthe Captain will tell me this is a different, matter ! lam too dense to see the difference, and I cannot see why Miss Biggs should not. get an opportunity of learning a little 1

(Office work as well as Miss Michael, have no interest whatever in either of the young ladies. They are both highly respectable and natives of the town, and to favour one more than the other, I do not think is John Bull fair play. If the ladies are brought into the question, I see nothing less than ** Donney Brook ’’ fair ; and now Captain, one word, when you bring this matter before the outside public, just put both sides of the question. —I am, etc., Fairplay