ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1057, 28 February 1878, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sin,—ln one of your January papers I see a long rigmarole under " Martin's Bay Grievances," which, if true would be showing a sad state of things ; as regards the school, I say it is nothing but a complete tissue of falsehoods, as the following facts will prove. _ About February last year Observer busied himself greatly around Martin's in advocating to get a school established. Being a married mail with a growing up family I was glad to see an old bachelor taking such an interest in the affair ; ultimataly a letter was sent to the Education Board of Otago, and an answer received, requesting information as to number of children age, etc., which was read I believe by all the settlers, about two months after, on enquiry, I was surprised to find the letter had not been answered for what reason Observer knows best. I immediately wrote to the Board furnishing the desired information, and got a reply enquiring if there were any unoccupied houses that would do (in the meantime) for a school house I then wrote to the Surveyor General for the use of the survey office which was willingly granted ; the next letter I had from the Board was making enquiry, if there was any person in the ploce willing and qualified to act as teacher and that £63 a year had been granted for the place. On receiving the last letter I was at work ill Big Bay—having my family in Jamestown, and I went to .Martins on the first opportunity offered, by boat, accompanied by 3 others (-2 married and one single) all holding'land in Martin's, the two former having written for their wives. On arriving at Jamestown wc put up a notice on the survey office, that a meeting would take place at 7 p.m. to elect a School Committee and appoint a teacher, and we also informed each individual verbally to the same effect. Two of the married men and two single men Observer included would not attend (one of the former about noon wrote with a pencil on the notice, " he was told it was 10 a.m. that the meeting would take place," the notice and writing was sent to the Board, there were 5 married and 2 single men present at the meeting, and the minutes were forwarded to the Board.

The above are the facts of the matter, as far as" Observer's" remarks goes about the Martin s Bay people being overridden by Big Bay men, they are ou a par with his other labrications, and I think, Mr Editor, when he acknowledges to the competency of the teacher, and the school granted, what excuse can there be for withholding the children from school, it is all bona fide Martin's Bay settlors that are on the Committee and if the Big Bay men or your correspondent assisted in obtaining the school, what on earth has that to do with keeping back the children. Mr M'Kenzie is botli able and willing to educate his own which cannot be said 01 the other. I trust, Sir, you will impress on <! Observer' the necessity of coniining himself to the truth in his next report, and not be throwing dust in the eyes of the public through the medium of your valuable columns. While begging pardon for trespassing so much, I beg to remain, Yours etc., JIOIEMI.UI DALZEILL. Big Bay, February Gth, IS7B.

Sir, —Would you kindly allow me space in your paper for a few remarks on *' Martins Bay Grievances," which appeared in your journal on January 3rd. With reference to the statements about the school [ shall leave them to those more immediately concerned. The correspondent [ refer to goes on to say with lygird to the appointment of Registrar, that settlers would rather travel to Queenstown if they required the services of such an onicer. "Observer" is wrong, for settler at Martins Bay have been married by the Registrar and their offspring registered. Perhaps, Mr Editor, you wih allow me to inform the old maid of Martin's Bay, who calls herself "Observer," that I intend to call at Martin's Bay occasionally and hope to let the world know now and then how things arc getting on there. Martin's has certainly got serious grievances, but ueidler in the shape of a school, a registrar or a correspondent —which are the three Principals in the whole burden of "Observers' lament; having but a small community, with a portion of that always acting in opposition to anything that would be for the advancement of the pla«.e, well knowing that if it was to go ahead they w< u d not h ive the same chance as they have now. No doubt a certain class of this sort is to be found in most communities, but when it comes to be established in a small district like this, it is scarcely conceivable what injury it does, but Martin's is getting settled with a class that will'soon wipe out the old reproach and they wiil be felt 110 more in the land. Settler. Big Bay, January 22nd, 1878. [We have been compelled to omit a great portion of our correspondent's letter as being unnecessarily personal.—Ed. L. W. M.]