CORRESPONDENCE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12637, 26 October 1905, Page 7

CORRESPONDENCE.

CHRISTMAS CARNIVAL

To the Editor

Sir, —In your issue of 23rd inst. ap pears a letter signed "' One Guinea," having reference to the Christmas Oaz*nival. The statements contained in that document are so utterly untrue and misleading that I feel bound to take exception to them. In tihe first place " One Guinea " has stated incorrectly the number of " pubs " (as he is pleased to call them) in the Wanganui district. In the second p % laoe " One Guinea" says the publicans aro subscribing £50 to the Carnival funds. The plain truth is, that the hotelkeepers have made themselves liable for the'sum of £100, exactly double the amount quoted by " One Guinea." It vnll probably not be out of place here to mention by the way that last year the hotelkeepers subscribed a similar amount, and on that occasion wer-o twitted by a section of the community with being too liberal in the matter of subscriptions. Then, again, if " Ono Guinea" knew what he was talking about he should be nw.ire that th« interests of all the " pubs " in the district >are not identical or alike so frr

as the Carnival -.arrangements are concerned, and it. would certainly be unfair to place them all on an equal footing for assessment; purposes? " One Guinea" refers to the big fat rents being paid to landlords, and quotes the total at about £300' Here once more he canndb know what -:he is talking about, and I challenge him to provo his misleading assertion. The worst feature of the whole letter t<f my mind is " One Guinea's" willingness to sacrifice his principles and convictions by voting " No-License " because he is not satisfied with, or does not ajpprove of, the hotelkeepers' subscriptions to the Christmas Gamival funds.. This is/ apparently another phase of the licensing question, and goes to show 'what small minds some people possess, and how far they -will go out of their Way for purposes of retaLiat/ion. If " One Guinea" is really sincere, and in earnest as to the statements he has made, why does he not act straightforwardly and Bign his proper name instead of hiding behind a norn de plume? In concluding, I cannot help expressing the opinion that if the Prohibitionists were to subscribe to the various public functions as liberally as the members of the Licensed Victuallers' Association there would be no occasion for such absolutely unfair comments as are'contained in "One Guinea's" letter. —I am, etc.,

J. S. PALMER, President L. V. Association Wanganui, October 25th, 1905.