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Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5005, 11 February 1878, Page 2

The reports of Mr Ormond's Waipawa and Clive meetings appear in to-day's issue. They both closed with votes of confidence in him. We shall take an early opportunity of referring at length to some of the matters dealt with. We observe that at Waipawa Mr Harwood, on Mr Mackersey's authority, denied the statement that £1 per acre had been offered by that gentleman, on behalf of certain Victorian settlers, before the sale, for the land subsequently bought at auction by Mr Nairn for 5a per acre. All we can say on that point is that if no such offer, or no communication practically equivalent to such an offer was made, we much regret that the statement should have appeared in our columns. We will not do Mr Ormond more than justice, but we should be sorry, indeed, to do him less. We observe that Mr Ormond's account of the private meeting of councillors held to consider the matter of the sale is at variance with the Telegraph's in one important particular. The Telegraph tells us that the councillors knew very well that the land would go at the upset price ; Mr Ormond, on the contrary, tells \xs that it was thought that there would be competition for it. Mr Ormond, we observe, makes very positive statements as to the unfitness of any portion of the land for agriculture. We have certainly heard equally positive ones to the opposite effect from thoroughly competent judges.