THE HARAPIPI SCHOOL SITE.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 805, 14 August 1877, Page 3

THE HARAPIPI SCHOOL SITE.

Sir,— Mr Mo Minn in his beautiful letter which appeared in your Thursdays issue, makes some insulting remarks, refering to me and the school site. Now »B a preat many people ont of thia district do not know the particulars of tbe case, if yon will oblige by insnreing this it will enlighten them a little. Some tirno back Mr MoMinn, in a conversation we had on other matters as well as this, asked me if 1 would sell a certain piece of land. I said no, as I had no more land than I wanted, well, he said, it is 1 for a school site it is wanted, if that is the case, I said, I will give them a site for tbat purpose, and very little, if any, more wassaid at that time about it, He went down to town, and on his return, dame and, told me that the Board of Education could not accept my offer HDless I made it in writing to them \ myself. I thought this was pretty good as' I had not made them any offer or authorised him to do so, only so far as the conversation. I then wrote to the board and offered them a piece? of land sufficient to build a schoolhonse, teachers home and a play ground, on 3 condition tbat they fenced it insecurely (aB it is close to my premises, in fact, within a few yards; of my front gate, and I did not want to be annoyed by any pigs, cattle, etc, getting into the school ground, ao I made that condition as protection to myself ). At the next meeting of the Board they decided that they could not accept the site on those terms, and published it in the Waikato Tjmes, " Herald," etc, that my offer of a site could not be accepted, so I naturally came to tbe conclusion tbat the question was settled. Mr McMinn was in town, and, on his return, meets me and tells me tbat my offer is accepted, now, he bad not the slightest authority from me to renew the offer, and ao I told him', and also that as tbe Board bad refused it once they would hot get it again. He at once began to abuse me in the same style c as his letter of the 9th, of course my refusal made him look like a fool to the Board of Education. It Was not that r cared about the price of land, but I did object to bis style of doing the busineßc He left me in a great rage, calling me all sorts of polite names. On considering the matter over, I thought it was a pity that the district ehould be debared from having a good site, through liis conduct, so I sent up for him to come down to my house, and I told him tbat I should give the site, and I also told him very plainly that it was not from anything that he had said that J gave it. Now, as the schoolhouse is close to my own, and tbe ground comes up to my front gate almost, and I shall not reap the slightest benefit from the school for at least Jive or six .years, in fact it will be more an annoyance to me than a benefit, giving the land' and also a subscription to tbe building fund, I really cannot see where my meanness exists. I will own tbat I object to be riddan over roughshod in his Btyle, and so I have plainly shown bim, aud all ways shall do. —I am, &c, J. H. Thompson. P.S.— Your own, at this place, has been oomplaioing at having nothing to write about of late. Mr McMinn and his little games bid fair to give almost »s much amusement to tbe inhabitants of this place as " That Harmonium" did to tbe people of Alexandra. . [ 'Our Own" will, we trust, let the ■matter drop. Our space, during the Session of Parliament, is too preoious to devote to matter which is not of general interest.— Ed W.T.]