CORRESPONDENCE

Grey River Argus, 30 March 1906, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE

MR ELLIOTT'S ALLEGED INCONSISTENCY.

(To the Editor.)

Sir.— Though you have gone somewhat from the point at issue in your resort to terms as a refuge, I see nothing in them to help you. Being a preacher I am a believer in texts, therefore "to the law and to the testimony" let us go, so that our minds may be somewhat cleared of cant and the bias of popular fallacy. The term "hotel" is defined by Webster as "a house for entertaining strangers,, or travellers; an inn or public house of there concerning grog. ! Again, Ogthe better class". There is nothing ilvie defines it thus— "A superior house for entertaining strangers or travellers". Ogilvie does not give the faintest suspicion that a barrel of beer is requisite to dignify a house of accommodation with the term "hotel". The term "hotel" seems somewhat French, and in France it means "the mansion or town residenc of a person of rank or wealth". However, these terms have little to do with the former grounds and statements upon which you accused me of inconsistency, and if you still think you are firmly established in your position then I challenge you to submit my attitude according to those statements to six intelligent men of "the trade", and I am prepared to submit to other six intelligent men of the No-license party, and let us have their written judgment recorded. If you elect to call a good house of accommodation minus the licensed bar '<a glorified boarding-house", then we are in good company according to the high authorities quoted by me.— l am, etc.

W. J. ELLIOTT. President West Coast Branch N. Z. Alliance. Hokitika, March 29th, 1906. [We fail to see that our correspondent has helped matters forward by his appeal to lexicographers; trace both "hotel" and "inn" to their origins and it is found that primarily both simply meant "nouse". As to our correspondent's challenge we would willingly take it up if we thought any practical good would jesult.— Ed. Argus.]

Last week the return from the No Town Creek Company's dredge was 45 ounces for 135 hours, and from the New Trafalgar Company's dredge 27 ounces for 12 hours.

The Wyndham Herald states that an Otara settler, Avhose land" abuts on the sea beach, has sent to a Home firm two samples of black sand to ha 't them tested for platinum. The result is anxiously awaited — in fact, it is reported that several claims have been pegged off in anticipation of the analysis being favorable.

During his address in charging a special jury at Blenheim on March 15th, Mr Justice Denniston had some sentiments to express regarding the jury system Counsel for the plaintiff had been placing before the worried minds of the quartette of "good men and true" the comparative positions of the parties to the case in regard to worldly goods,: and had left the point with the remark that the jury knew — must have known — the circumstances. His Honour appearpeared greatly surprised at this" assumption of counsel, and took the op portunity-of saying that it reminded him of the jury system at the "period when, in the early stage of its deyeloprri'e'rit the immediate neighbors of the accused used to be called *o testify as witnesses, and then did duty as the jury. "Of course," said his Honour, "this sort of thing will go on so long as there arc juries- ''