TEWERA PURCHASE.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 10412, 20 October 1927, Page 5

TEWERA PURCHASE.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (•■V ATTITUDE.

MR A, D. McLEOD’S CRITICISM.

xMINISTER’ S REPLY NOT SATIS-

FACTORY

Strong criticisin was. recently lev-_ elled, in Chamber ' of '- Commerce :cir- r files, at remarks, 'concerning the Chamber's attitude to tho' purchase of ;To Wera allegedly mjido in the House by ;tho . Minister “ for ; Lands, Mr A: D. McLeod. Tho Chamber, immediately forwarded a-telegram, and letter of, protest. ‘ A reply was '■••• received , from. the Minister but thi s was; not.. considered 7 satisfactory by the Chamber and ; a further letter was forwarded -tq Mr .McLeod. Replying to the-first 1 protests, froni the Chamber, the Minister claimed. that the purport. of. the remarks to which' exception was taken was as follows“No "sooner had To Wera been purchased when rumors were circulated-—I ain ; afraid for political purposes—that the property was de-. toriorating rapidly,. was stock . sick and; ; difßcult ; pf,'.access. -Even thc ; Cham't’er of Commerce. . ivliieh had been;insistent; in 1 demanding that large; holdings, he cut up for closer did nothing to assist in counteracting the resultant impressions. A gentleman, who,l understand, was ' vice-president of that body and who, I believe-a search of the minutes would go to show, was present at- the meeting of the Chamber at which - the Te . Wera purchase discussed, remained silent, although only a few: ifijpnths earlier, in reporting to the owners upon the property, ho had said it was admirably suited for cutting up into dairying, arid, sheep farms and was a-cheap preposition at round about £75,000’--’ In answer to this, the Chamber had written to the Minister that the reply' Was unsatisfactory and that the Chamber would be glad if the Minister'would furnish the authority for the statement that he had the minutes of the meeting mentioned examined' and also for the statement. that the member . referred to had kept silent during the discussion. .This member did riot keep silent on the occasion but -supported the purchase which he referred to as a good one. “The Chamber ■ considers” concluded the letter, “that you have been misled by wrong information - and _ have unfairly put the Chamber- in a false position and it trusts . you will publicly correct that statement at the first available opportunity.”-:'-' " vTLe for-yarding of this second protest "was - confirmed at yesterday’s ttieetimr "of""the Chamber. re

Mr F. Ri. Ball remarked that he thought the matter -should be drop r ped. but other members considered that the protest should !>e maintained and, further action .was deferred until a reply was received to the last letter from the Chamber.