Correspondence.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2863, 3 April 1888, Page 2

Correspondence.

The Masterton Horticultural Society.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir—l was astonished to see in your yesterday's paper an entirely mislead- " ing leading article on the late scandal in connection with the Horticultural Society, and in justice to all concerned I beg you will insert my version of the ' affair. On the day previous tyjbe first general meeting, I wasinfljKa that a charge of tampering with awards would be made by one of the judges. This information I imparted to your representative. Fo grave charge was made in any paper against any nemkt of th Society, as stated ly you, and I defy you-to point to any. The committee met and Mr Eockell's letter was J >read, and the President united discus,, "

sion. I suggested that the steward in attendance upon that particular class should explain, Upon this, Mr Papimmediately rose and stated that he put the tickets on after Mr Taylor had to leave, a.;d that he put Ik ticket on the exhibit by order of Messrs Everett and Kempton. He went on to charge Mr Eookell with having written the letter out of personal malice toward Thompson and himself, I here interjected that Mr Eockell made no charge against anyone* Mr Pap worth insisted that the charge was maliciously directed against him and Thompson. Upon this I tabled a motion to the effect that as grave charges were being made against Mr Eockell, that gentleman should be present to reply to them, This was carried, and the consideration of the question was adjourned for a fortnight. On the following day after the meeting, a local appeared in the Star stating that Mr Papworth had placed a first

prizo ticket upon a disqualified exhibit, it I beg you will mark that this local appeared after Mr Papworth admitted having done so. This places the matter in an entirely different light to that in which it has suited you to put it. When the adjourned meeting took f place, additional correspondence was read anent the matter, and the President invited discussion. After waiting some time, I remarked that as Mr Papworth had admitted placing the ticket on the exhibit, perhaps he would explain, To my surprise Mr Papworth denied all knowledge of the affair. I immediately appealed to the President and to the Secretary to say whether Mr Papworth had made the admission or not, but neither could remember. This I can understand, as they were going over the financial statement at the time and may not liavo paid particular attention, As, however, I knew I was right, I could not, without making myself a party to a deliberate

untruth, affirm otherwise than that I i heard Mr Papworth make the admisT . sion. When, therefore, the resolution ? was proposed to the effect that there was 110 evidence to prove who tampered with the tickets,. I was hound to object to it, as Mr Papworth had admitted doing it; so also when the President tabled his motion regretting <mat Mr Papworth had been blamed the papers for the offence, I was bound to object on the same grounds as previously. Your, assertion of malice and persecution is entirely without foundation. A grave irregularity had been perpetrated by one of tlie officers of the Association, and it was the duty of every member of the committee to endeavor to sheet the blame home and punish the offender. Mr Papworth admitted tlw offence, under extenuating circumstances, at one meeting, and denied all knowledge of it at the next. I will leave the public to judge whether I, as a committeeman, was doing my duty in acting as I did, or whether I would , better have served the society by disifo Paying a sufficiently accommodating * memory, and consented to whitewash the offender. I beg you will recollect that two or three of the old committee who heard Mr Papworth's admissions £ absent from the last meeting, that the majority of those who led the last meeting were not present at the first. In conclusion, I would assure you that as long as I am elected to any local institution, I will expose any irregularity that comes under my notice, 110 matter whom the offender may be, and I feel confident that by so doing, I will strengthen the Society, because, when the public know that 110 irregularities are tolerated, exhibitors will have confidence in the bona fide of the Society, The man who degraded the Society by tampering with the prizes is the person who is most likely to ruin it: not the one who takes action to prevent a re-oc-currence of such a questionable proceeding. I am, etc., fr 6. M. Park.

[The facts of the case appear to have been very fully and fairly investigated at the official inquiry, and we prefer to take them from that rather than from Mr G. M. jftp'lc, who openly displayed a strong itniinus in the affair.—Ed. W.D.]

The Masterton Horticultural Society, (To the Editor)

Sir.—When reading the report of the Masterton Horticultural and Industrial Society's Committee meeting, published in your issue of March 31st, I was greatly amused at the resolution proposed by Mr Beard and seconded by Mr Gardner, viz., That the committee regret that Mr Papworth, a member of the committee, has been publicly charged with placing a firstprize ticket upon a disqualified exhibit, as there is nothing to show by whom it was so placed," Now I was present at the Committee meeting when Mi' Rockell's letter was read calling attention to the irregularity, and Mr Papworth did not wait for the to be asked who was the culprSfout rose in great wrath and admitted placing the ticket there, by the authority of Mr Everett and Mr Kempton Jun,, and accused Mr .Rockell of having what he termed a set on Thompson, He also made grave" (Aarges against the judges, which he withdrew when remonstrated with by Mr Park, I can understand the President and Secretary not noticing the admission as they were engaged in a little private conversation on the subject when the admission was made, but there arc other members of the committee who might remember it, but they are evidently troubled with a defective memory when it suits their purpose, It is no use trying to hush the matter up, by not giving a fall report of the discussion on tbe subject, at the meeting held on Thursday evening last, as it is of too much public impgkimcc, I am &c,, Tiiojias Dixon.

The Masterton Park, To the Editor,

Bui,—l was one of the many who enjoyed themselves at the Sports in MBfPark yesterday, It was wally

gratifying to see so many persons present, and who appreciated their outing. But it was, at the same time, lamentable to see so many females without the convenience of sitting accommodation. I believe as a traveller, that the Masterton Park is the only place of amusement I have' met without sitting accommodation. Are there no enterprising settlers among the citizens of Masterton, who would take this matter into consideration and provide a want that is so much required ? I am, &c, Traveller.