CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1967, 17 April 1885, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor,

blß,—The following is a letter which your contemporary (the Star) lias rejected ajm the ground that an opportunity would |B<e afforded me at tho public meeting on Sathrday to "abuse the other side." It 18 Merely a reply to your contemporary's attack upon certain members of the Association, and in rejecting my defence, I pwstomsheisgivinga practical illustration of mb thorough contempt for anything tliat is not "fair and above board", ' , A Member : ■ ? THEMANGAHAO SURVEYS. • (To the Editor ok the Star. ) Sir,—lt is to he regretted' that you have such a thorough contempt for facts when you write about tho affairs of the Maaterton-Mangah'ao Settlers' Association. Your evident genius for romancing must, I suppose,, excuse you, but for the information of those who were not present at the meeting, I would like to say, Ist, that Messrs Frasi and Drummond's offer was addressed.to the Chairman ot the Association, and «o( to the Committee ; 2nd, you will see by your own report of the meeting that the Chairman AJried to get the meeting to adopt the Comffliittee's report. If the report had been adopted by the meeting, the discussion upon Messrs Frasi and Drummond's offer would have been informal and ruled out of order. It was Mr Paige, assisted by Mr Hogg who, instead of trying to get the Committee's report adopted, suggested that it be considered seriatim. As for the action of the Chairman in submitting the offer to the meeting being " clearly irregular," 1 would point out that the letter having boon received by the acting Chairman, it was his duty to open it, and, after reading it, it was clearly his duty to give its contents to the meeting. Thckttenm the property of the members of the Association—not the Chairman's, and he would have been guilty of a gross irregularity if he had suppressed it. As for the "job" being pre-arranged, 1 have only to remind the members of the Association that both Mv Parsons and Mr Park assured the meeting that they knew nothing of Messrs Frasi and Drummond's pffer till they went to the meeting. If cannot understand that assurance, 1 only regret that you have become so contaminated by keeping bad company that you cannot credit anyone with being an "open-faced lever watch" but those whom' ypu especially delight to honor. Vlfyj} tjje action of the Association in accepting Messrs Frasi and Drununcnd's pffer, I can only, .express my individual ppjnjon that the offer being an exceptionally advantageous one, the members would have been very silly to let it slip, and by fettering ourselves with other Associations we would be depriving ourgelyes gf free liljorty ofacfion, which is likely to retard the'progress of the Association, until everyone is disgusted and withdraws from it, Your contention that the Committee should dominate the AgSopjatmn is qn erior, Jani, #o., A Meper, [We. are not in the habit of publishing letters attacking our contemporaries, nor letters rejected by them, This is, however, a fair reply to comments made by the 'Star,' and as such it should find publicity,—Ed, W.D.]