MUNICIPAL FINANCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3160, 12 April 1909, Page 4

MUNICIPAL FINANCE.

AIREPLY TO CR YARR

To the Editor.

Sir, —I expected that my letter on' the Municipal [finance, if replied to' at all - , would'have been answered by bis Worship the Mayor, buc certainly did not expect to be honoured with the notice of Cr Yarr. I suppose I uught to have remembered that the gentleman in question really can't abstain from notoriety, and must be continually posing before the public. Well, Sir, I do not want to oiscuss Mr Yarr, but I have~an offer to make him. Before it is made, however, I wish to point out that in his light' and happy and well-known stylepeculiarly his own —as evidenced in print, during the latter months of 1908, he has carefully evaded the point at issue, which was the cause . of my writing, namely, that a statement purporting to show the result of the Council's financial operations for the year, just closed, on general and waterworks accounts, showing a surpus of £2,038, and which appeared in your paper on Wednesday, as having; I been before the Works Committee the previous night, when no such report was brought before the Committee in ary shape or form. As to the so-called surplus of £2,038, I have a definite offer tomake Cr Yarr, which I think should commend itself to any reasonable person. 1 have a statement supplied, to me at our last meeting, in common with other Councillors, and dated. Mrach 31st, 1909, prepared and signed by the Town Clerk, purporting to show the amounts received from all sources on account of general, fund and waterworks account, alsa all payments for such accounts. / I am prepared to submit this statement to any competent person not connected witn the Borough Council, and if such person certifies that the statement shows a credit balance of £2,038, I will pay to the local Hospital the sum of £lO, and defray any expenses connected therewith; but if the person so appointed certifies that there is a credit balar.ce of less than £2,038, Mr Yarr to pay £lO to the local Hospital, and expenses incurred. And to facilitate matters, I will acceptany one of the following three gentlemen, namely—Mr Keith, Mr G. Sellar, or Mr Tabuteau, and MrYarr can have his choice. Surely this will settle the matter beyond, doubt. ; And, further, I am prepared to* meet Mr Yarr on any public platformin Masterton. to discuss the transactions of the Council daring the year, as he appears to be the selfappointed champion of the Council. As for the personal abusa contained in Cr Yarr's letter, your readers must excuse his style, and remember the old and true say ing—"No case—abuse the other side."—l. am, etc., JOHN HUNTER.