LETTING THE TOWN HALL

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 86, 8 October 1921, Page 5

LETTING THE TOWN HALL

TO THJ IBIIOIt.

Sir, —There are two inaccuracies in the r Town Clerk's statement published yes- ' terday :— .-■.'" ' . '

(1) That Monday, 3rd October, was "pencilled" for the West Coasters' Reunion. The fact is that several weeks' ago a definite and,, as far s,s,"the ..West Coasters were concerned, an unconditional contract for hive was entered into between the association and the council.

(2) That the Town Clerk promised to let Miv'M'Grath know by Friday, should it be necessary to postpone the function, and that Mr. M'Grath was willing to abide by that promise. This statement is only a half-truth. The- words "in time for publication in that night's Post should be inserted after the word "Friday."

The association's executive were present oil Thursday evening, when, after being humbugged for several days, this arrangement was made by telephone, and they can confirm it. About 2.30 p.m. on Friday, as no reply was received from "the Town Clerk, I telephoned him, and he informed me that "no reply had been received from Sir Francis Bell or the Prime Minister; but the reception was practically certain to tafe place, in which case the association could not have the hall." I wentvto The Post at once, and you know, sir, thati owing to the lateness" of the hour it was only through your personal good graces the postponement was published. I have no knowledge of that portion of the Town Clerk's reply relating to what took place between hjm and the Mayor, or the Salvation Army, or the Savage Club', and make no comment on it. .

The Mayor says that if the association had waited two hours longer he would have been in receipt of a-telegram that woulcj have enabled liim to postpone the reception and make the hall free for the West Coasters. He does riot mention that we had waited several days for this telegram/and that when The Post went to press on Friday he had no idea of when he would receive the telegram/and that there were only two available issues of the press in which we could advertise the postponement. The news that it was not convenient for the Prime Minister to have a reception on Monday night was -.. communicated to me at 6 p.m. on Friday. The position on Friday .afternoon was that the telegram might' have arrived even as;late as Monday after The Post; : went to press, in which case perhaps we could have had our reunion, and perhaps we' couldn't. , : •

Our association appreciates the candour of the Mayor. ,He confesses his . sin, and expresses regret, but doesn't think it fair, to place the "whole of the blame on him." He will be forgiven by our -association if 'the damage is paid and he doesn't became 4 second offender. As to the apportionment of the blame, if he and the Town Clerk cannot agree I suggest they divide it in the proportion of five-sixths to the Town Clerk and one-sixth to the Mayor. This is arrived at by the proportion of your space taken ■■% up by their respective excuses.—l am, etc. ' J. J. M'GRATH, President of West Coasters' Association.