Messrs Holdship and Dargaville.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 1420, 14 July 1884, Page 2

Messrs Holdship and Dargaville.

(__b the Btttor of the Stak.)

Sir, — ffc your issue of 11th appears a short letter Srom Mr Holdship declaring in somewhat offensive torms that my statements about him at last Wednesday evening's meeting are fal.-c. I made two statements about Mr Holdship—one, that ho assembled his men, or, rather, the company's men, on their leaving off work ono evening, and addressed them, advocating the claims of my opponent in this election contest. A letter written by one of his friends, and which, strange to say, appears on tho same day a-i Mr Holdship's in the " Herald," and in tho same column of that paper a little lower down, confirms in a reuiaikablo manner the truth of what I said so far. Tho other statement T made hud lolercnce to a Compact which Mr Holdship requested mo to enter into at a timo when I employed some 3-S0 to 100 men. What 1 Raid on Wednesday evening in reference to that matter was that I absolutely refused to huvo anything to do wiili tho proposal, which, amongst other things, limited bushmen's wages to 25s per week, equal to Is 2d per day, and provided that all timo lost through wet weather should bo docked from tho men. (At that time I was giving my men MOa to 10s per week, without any reduction for lost time.) I now add that it was further cruelly provided in the compact that tho names of any men refusing to work for tho reducod wages were to be sent round to all the other employers, and that such men were to be refused employment. In short, such men were to bo boycotted. If I am wrong in making this statement, what is easier than for Mr Holdship to produce tho compact, which was in printed form '! Let him publish it. I challenge him to do so. If I had a copy I would do so myself, and it would then be seen whoso statements are true, and whose false. In conclusion, let me cay that those electors who, at Mr Holdfhip's request, or upon his misrepresentations, signed the requisition to my opponent, or promised him support, are clearly absolved from their pledges, seeing in what manner such signatures and pledges were obtained.—lam, etc., July 12, 1884. A. M. Daroavii.le.