LOCAL PATRIOTISM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 161, 29 June 1908, Page 3

LOCAL PATRIOTISM.

now IT JS EXCOL'KAOEI). llicre was an opportunity the other f v* 01 ' a l )U '^ ,c '^ v * a l , l )u ' ll l (> d committee of Aew Plymouth men to display business aeumeu and local patriotism at one and the same lime. Opportunity lost, like the letter that i.s posted, can never be recalled. A News reporter dropped, upon tlie circumstances on Saturday. The man with the grievance is Mr. C. O. Hawke, well known as one of tlie keenest buyers of stationery and fancy goods in the Dominioon—as evidenced by the keenuess of his selling And it i- on account of his own belief in his buying methods and of his knowledge that in this j-pspeet he stands on a level footing with some of ilie linns in the Dominion that he leels hurt by tlie treatment he si Ilexes wa> meted out to him by the Xew lMvmouth Public Library Committee. Mr. lla\vke'> chagrin on Saturday was occasioned by the receipt of the following letter 1 1*0111 the secretary of the committee:— 'I am directed to thank you for your letter of the 1 'Mh instant, and 10 inform you that the tender of Me.—rs. | I'pton and Co.. at 2s !»d per volume, ha-* I been accepted/' The facts leading up tu the letter were. Mr. llawke >tated, as follows:-—About a fortnight ago Mr, j Hawk'* received from the secretary of the library a requot to <juote for the I delivery of about twenty "Colonial Lib-I

rarv" ixjoks per month. In order to obtaiu more exact information lie wrote t<> the secretary. and, meeting that olii* cial in the stcM»t. .shortly afterwards received a verbal acknowledgement of the letter with an assurance that it would lx» put before the committee and the information supplied. Mr. Hawke explained to the reporter the reasons winch prompted his further inquiries, and stated that lie had given these* reai sons to the .lecretary. As no date of eloping the tenders had been mentioned, he quite Indieved that the questions submitted to the committee would have been answered, in order that he might frame his tender, Instead of that he received the letter quoted earlier in this article. Mr. Jlawke considers that,

apart altogether from the price quoted, apart from his ability or otherwise »n compete with the successful Auckland firm, and totally ignoring the trilling loss to liini from Indng deprived of tie" chance of supplying tin* local library with literature, lie has a genuine grievance against the committee. for by their own showing they are guilty of ignoring hi* reqiie>'- for information. "Hut it's jn-t like New Plymouth." In- says. "People here can'*, b'lieve a local linn can do for them. Nothing's any good unle>s it comes roin out ide town--. That's their belief, and until thev begin to i:<*t an idea th;»V there ave local linns aide and ready to lill their wauls ju*t a- cheaply ami just- a- well as their I so-called "big" linns in other town-. New Plymouth will fail to make its proper progress." And n >re in the same strain. claims that his price would have Ikm-u the same as hat of the sue* ■ cessful linn, and that, as the contractor ' for this supplv at that fair rate, he would have been able to make big rei|u<'tion> in other line> of books suitable 1 for the library, he lndd> one oi the - biggest and nm-i varied stoeks in the I Dominion. Another ilv in the ointment

i- thai ;i uiemlier of tin- committee i> alleged to have Mini],, it hi-. business to call upon thi- Auckland linn and L'ei. iis lender, but no "in'thriiinht of frivinj: tin' local sla tinners ;i look-up or a remiiiilcr. There <:i!i Ik' 110 doubt Hint, ii (lif fuels ;uv as staled, Hie committee would have been acting in the best interests of tin 1 community by jroiiijr a step out of it- way to ;;ive tin- local firm more con-iderat ion. for lln- money tliut. is silent I'll books is llie money of local people entrusted to a local coinmiltce for tlie purchase of literature for local people. And if tlie liooks can b« bought as cheaply here as elsewhere. the loca'i linns -li-iuld certainly have the preference.