CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2166, 9 December 1885, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

MR McOARDLE IN REPLY.

To the Editor. ; Sir,—l do not,asarule, takcany notice ot allusion made to myself. But this time I cannot allow the 'remarks of your Eketahuna correspondent to pass unchallenged, He commences by sating that Mr Beotham had kindly advisedjMr Von Reden that Mr Stout'would pass through Eketahuna on December 3rd, It was therefore decided at a public mooting that certain gentlemen should propnre an address, &c. Had it not been for Mr Tonner there could have been no one to x meet Mr Stout, as lie arrived fully an hour before ho was expected. Fortunately \-. Mr Tonner got an inkling that a certain \ gentleman who lives not a thousand miles from Pahiatua was trying to rush the Premier through the bush, so a3 to give him the impression that Pahiatua was the only settlement in the Forty-Mile Bush, etc. Now, let ine toll you and your readers the facts as they are—and by-the-by I told the Eketahuna people in the presence of Mr Stout what I am now about to tell you—l had for some time previous to Mr Stout's visit:. pressed Mr Stout to give Masterton his promised lecture, and at the same time to pay a.. r - visit to our country settlements, At last he" agreed to come up on the 3rd, He was to have, written to mo on the 2nd stating whether lie would call at all thecentres. He did not do so, I wired to him' on the afternoon of the 2nd, saying I should strongly advise him to take a trip through. He did not reply t? my telegram, I therefore could not tell whother lie would visit the bush or not. Mr Stout arrived on the 3rd by the midday train. I pointed out to him that the people of Eketahuna were expecting him upjana that they would be very much disaappointed if he did not go. Mr Stout. decided at 3 p.m. to run right through and bank in one day, and left rpe tomako the best arrangements I could. The mail had left more than two hours before, so I could not send word to any one of the centres by mail. I therefore jr did the best I could. I left our \ way up, for the Mauriceville people that Mr Stout would meet them at 6 p.m. on his return. I also told the Eketahuna people that Mr Stout would meet them at 4 p.m. on his return, 1 ask your readers was it possible for ine to arrange the matter better under the ciroumatanoea? Your correspondent saysMr Beethara had advised him of Mr Stout's Intended visit. Such may be the case, but I very much doubt it. 1 saw Mr Beethanv on the 2nd, and ho asked me if Mr Stout was likely to visit the bush.. I told him that I did not feel sure, asT had not received Mr Stout's promised letter. Your correspondent's assertion that I was trying to ,gefc Mr Stout to pass Eketahuna without seeing as many of the settlers as possiblo, is most grossly untrue,'and he knows, jt, and knew it bef oro he penned the remarks tq which 1 refer, I almost feel contempt of myself for taking any notice of the letter or the writer. It, was my grea desire tho Mr Stout should see as man of the Bettlers as possible. Anyone wit common sense will readily see that ; would be to my interest to do so.

I am, &c, W. W. McCardle. • Pahiatua, December 8th,,1885, THE FQRT?-MILE-BUSH RAILWAY.

To the Editor,

Sir—l notice in your correspondent's report of Mr Stout's remarks at Eketahuna on the subject of the extension of the railway line, a paragraph which runs thus:—"He again referred to the railway, and said that most likely something would have been done if the opposition had not struck half a million off. the estimates," lam sorry that Mr Stout Bhould made a stetoment so to tyislead, Mr Stout should have'remembered that the Publio Works Statement wag delivered long before Captain Russell's motion was tabled, and that statement contained not tho slightest reference to any extension, but merely a paragraph referring to an intention to commence a section ■ at tho Woodville end of the line. I was aware from personal interviews .with the Minis- ■ ter for Public Works that,the Govern,, ment had no intention of oxjencjing jjhjj line from Masterton to Eketahuria, and, while I gladly believe Mr. Stout had no, intention to'mislead, I considor that he should have known what the Intentions of the Ministry were on the subject, and thatriinlesß he was quite sure of his facts, ho should not have attempted in such a! manner to damage his political opponents . by endeavoring to make them respimsiblo for the shortcomings of his own Ministiy, I am, &0., George Beetham.