AN OPEN LETTER TO MR SYMES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 275, 14 November 1908, Page 6

AN OPEN LETTER TO MR SYMES

.To fjic Editor. •Sir,--lte niy statements made oil! 28th tjrtt.bcr rulirernillg your action i'.f pivseutiiiy the petition fur tur refund of arbitration costs in the matter of the West Coast Settlement ttescrv '.s and receiving commissions from i-eilui i recipients ol those refunded ihi' following advertisement appears in tltt"Xaiujuiki JJaiiy News" and oilier news papers: "ilr. Walter Symes will, on Monday, 10th November, at tile Town flail, I Stratford, reply to ihe unfounded, mis-' leading and unwarranted statements made Ijy Jlr. J. D. lline 011 tile 2St)i October.'' By delaying our answers io my alleged misleading statements until I In.: eve of the eleetion you prevent me from meeting you on equal ground. In answer to the above udverUs'enu.'ul.;,' I therefore challenge you to reply specilically to the following questions: 1. Do you deny the receipt of commissions or moneys paid to you us remuneration from certain participants ill tile above-mentioned petition? 2. Do you deny Hint on the 1-ltli day of September, 1 '.105, the above mention eil petition presented bv you was returned by tile Jf to Z Committee to the House of Representatives (see Ila.isard, iSeplenibe r 1-lth. liJU.j, \',|. CXXXIW, page li-> 4) with a report lilat "The Committee had no recouiuic.idalioii to mako," and that the chairman (.Mr. 1 B"ddo) moved: "'That the petition m

on the table?" 3. Do you deny tile truth of the following extract from the same page of Hansard: ".Mr. Synies (Patea) moved as an amendment 'That the report lie referred luu'< to the Committee lor further consideration?'" ■I. Do yi>n deny that upon the Committee again considering the petition and reporting that the same lie referred to tile Government for favorable consideration, yon spoke and voted in favor of the motion of the chairman that this be done (see Hansard, October 12, l'.lO.'i, Vol. CXXXV., page (itiO) ?

5. IJo win deny that your action in bringing forward and promoting, as a member of Parliament tile above-mo >■ tiioncd petition oil lire success of wliicn depended the payment to you of commissions and rewards, is contrary to the usage of Parliament and subversive to the just consideration of claims before that House?

0. You stated on tile platform of the Town ilall in Stratford on the 21st October that you neither demanded nor received one penny piece from any constituent, nor were any of those who qiaid commissions on sums obtained for them liy this petition constituents of yours? Do you deny that the following letters (of which yours is dated June 2tith, 1008) prove this statement to be unfounded, unwarranted and : misleading?

(Letter from Jlr. Synies to Jlr. [ (lower). "Stratford, 2(itli June, liiOS. "S. Cower, Esq., "Wlienuakura, Patea. "Dear Gower,—l am just sending this as a reminder, feeling assured that it has escaped your memory, t'hat th cheque you promise me had not yet come to hand. "Willi kind regards, believe me, "Yours sincerely, (signed) "Walter Symes." (Letter from Jlr. Cower to Jlr. Hemingway). "Whenuakura, Nov. 2nd, IflOS. "To Jlr. Hemingway. "Dear Sir,—Re your 'enquiry re commission demanded by Mr. Walter Synies | fo rwmmission upon recovery of money paid on confiscated leases, Jlr. Symes for commission upon recovery of money paid on confiscated leases, .Mr. Ny, called at my homestead at Jlangaiuingi about three weeks prior to last election (1005). In conversation regarding the repayment of moneys paid n the confiscated leases, Jlr. Symes stated that be expected for his trouble to receive from me live, pounds should the refund be made by tile Government, to which 1 agreed. "About the end of June last 1 received a letter from Jfr. Symes requestin'g payment of the live pounds. Jn reply I forwarded my cheque for liv pounds on July 3rd, 1008. •;.t have been a constituent of the l'ntea electorate from its formation, and ill 100."), when Jlr. Synies was returned fpr the Patea seat, 1 voted as an elector in tile Patea electorate. "Yours truly, (Signed) "S. Gower." Awaiting your replies, Yours Jaithfullv. | —Advt. .1. IS. HINT!.