EASTBOURNE FAIR

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 65, 14 September 1933, Page 12

EASTBOURNE FAIR

CARNIVAL FUNDS

MR. FISHER'S EXPLANATION REPLY TO .MAYOR A reply to the statement made by the Mayor of Eastbourne (Mr. 33. W. Wise) in reference to the Eastbourne Fair was made today by Mr. S. F. Fisher, who was chairman of the carnival committee. Mr. Fisher stated that the balancesheet as published by him was correct. Mr. Wise had stated that,- a'corrected balance-sheet was sent to him by the Audit Department. '' I want s to. know,'' said Mr. Fisher, "who gave authority for the balance-sheet to be altered without my permission as chairman of the committee.'" .

"The Mayor states that I must take full responsibility for the delay in publishing the balance-sheet. In answer to this I would point out that the balancesheet sent to the Audit Department by the carnival treasurer showed the correct position as at the date of the balance-sheet having been drawn up. The' public who had subscribed to tho fund would not be particularly concerned in which account the balance was held, provided tho same was in safe hands. The people who have boen asking for the publication of the balancesheet were more concerned with the result of tho activities." Many baseless rumours had been circulated, lie said, in an endeavour to discredit certain people, and tho public had been left with the impression that the carnival had been a failure. Even from the platform of a well-staged and rehearsed meeting of Mr. Wise" and his party supporters on the eve of the recent election, an individual, not a candidate, spoke from tho platform and left the publie with the impression that tho carnival had shown a loss. WITHDRAWAL OF MONEY. "At tho date' of the balance-sheet, £.578 2s 3d was actually in the District Fund Account, and it is no use Mr. Wise trying to say otherwise and endeavour to tell the Audit Department their-job," said Mr. Fisher. "When Mr. Wise collected the balance-sheet from the Audit Department ho obtained also an opinion from the. AuditorGeneral covering tho withdrawal from the District Fund Aceount of the £600. He states that to protect his council he went over the head of tho AuditorGeneral and obtained a further opinion, a course which was quite unnecessary, as the council would have been safeguarded by the opinion of the AuditorGeneral. "In my previous statement I said I could not understand why the Audit Department had returned the balancesheet to Mr. Wise. Without reflecting in any way on this department, I could not see any reason for their action, as it is usual to return any balance-sheet to the-person from whom it is obtained, i.e., the treasurer. However, since making my first statement I havo been given to understand that Mr. Wise interviewed the Audit Department and requested that the balance-sheet be given to him. So no doubt, this is the correct explanation. "The Mayor states that the dispute is not between himself and myself, but between the council and me. It is only within the past few weeks, however, that any correspondence or dealings havo been conducted through the council in connection with the matter, and when I made a request through the Town Clerk (Mr. Bishop) for leave to appear bofore the- council in an endeavour to arrive at a settlement I was promptly told that the Mayor would not agree to mo appearing before, the council and would have nothing to do with me until tho £600 was returned." "Mr. Wise states that the carnival was a council affair, and that I was not present at tho special meeting when it was decided upon* I. can perhaps refresh his memory a little by referring him to tho following resolution, which was passed at a meeting of the council held on February 23 over which I presided: 'That the application for the support of the couucil. in connection with the proposed carnival at Easter for tho relief of distress be received, and that the principle be supported; a subcommittee, consisting of the Mayor, Councillor Varney, and the Town Clerk to make inquiries and decide whether the scheme be proceeded with.' When this resolution was passed several speakers were emphatic that the council would support the principle only and allow the carnival to be run in the borough, and not allow tho council to be connected with it in any other way. At a subsequent special council meeting the following resolution was carried: 'That the council approve of tho conducting of an Easter fair for tho relief of distress as, outlined in a letter submitted by tho organiser.' I was not present at this meeting, as I was absent at Rotorua at the municipal conference. However, I have the assurance of the six of the seven then councillors who were present, excluding tho now Mayor, that nothing transpired at the subsequent meeting to alter the decision of the council to support the effort in principle only. Further, the present Mayor strenuously opposed tho council even allowing its name to be associated with the carnival, and his inactivity during the campaign was further evidence of his attitude. The Mayor states that ho took no limelight part in the carnival, and this is quite correct. Further, it way interest many to know that he took no other part in the affair. As far as my wanting individual recognition or any limelight for tho part I took in the carnival is concerned, Mr. Wise need have no misconception. COMMITTEE'S WISHES. "I can only.repeat again and point out to him that the wishes of the various queen committees should havo some respect. I havo more than once made tho offer to come to an.arrangement to allow the fund to bo drawn upon. If I were appointed a joint trustee along with Mr. Wise, and had he been anxious to arrive at a settlement and allow the money to be distributed, he would have made it his business to have seen that my wishes were acceded to and would have brushed his personal feelings find advisers to one side.

"In conclusion, I must state that tho withdrawal of tho £600 from the borough account and the placing of the same in a trust account was done at the request of a letter from the four queen committees, and it was their desire that I should be a trustee of the fund. Mr. Wise gave one the impression that' something was wrong in withdrawing this amount, but I can assure the public that it was withdrawn in a proper, legal, and constitutional manner. My provious offer still stands, and if Mr. Wise wants a settlement he need only use his influence to have mo appointed joint trustee." Mr. Fisher said that he did not wish to enter into a newspaper controversy Over the matter; his one desire was to place the balance-sheet before the public, which he did on Monday.