CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1616, 22 February 1884, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

TO THE EDITOB. Sib—Will you allow mo a few lines in explanation re a statement that appoared in a local in ono of your issues, which stated 'that Mr Mackay had waited on the Hon Mr Dick and that lie, amongst other things, explained the romantic statements made by Mr McCardle re County finance, I have been charged with attempting to mislead the Hon Mr Dick in the above matter. The only way to clear up this matter, as far as I could see, was for me to wait on the lion gentleman, which I did on Wednesday last, Here follow questions put by me to Mr Dick and his answers to them :

To Mr Dick: "Ihave been charged with attempting to mislead you in the matter of County revenue and County official expenditure. It is slated that Mr Mackay waited on you and explained the matter in its true'light, Having heard those statements do you consider that my statements were made in a way calculated to mislead you 1 and did they mislead you f

Mr Dick's answer: "There was no attempt on your part to mislead me, nor did you do so. I quite understood' the matter, and your explanations of them to be: First. That the revenue of the County from local sources amounts to something like L3OOO per annum, and that tho official expenditure amounts to something like LIBOO. I perfectly understood that the County have had considerable sums of Government money for expenditure, and that the cost of carrying them out has been charged against the various grants." To Mr Dick: " Now Mr Dick, what portion of those moneys thus passing through the hands of the County do you consider as county revenue." Mr Dick's answer: " Only that portion raised from local sources."

Sir, I now consider my interviow with the Hon. Mr Dick and his replios to me in every way satisfactory to myself, And further, I am in every way exonerated from the charge of attimpting to mislead Mr Dick by my statements, I am, tie. W. W. McCardle. [lf the local revenue is separated from the general revenue the local official expenditure must in fairness bo separated from the general oicial expenditure. Mr Dick is represented as contrasting the/oca/ rovenue and the gmeral official expenditure, Apparently he is still a little hazy as to the financial position of tho County. -Ed. W.D.]