"B.C." TO GEORGE SYMES.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1587, 29 April 1887, Page 5

"8.C." TO GEORGE SYMES.

(TO the editor of the lake wakatip mail.) Sir,—ln your issue of the 15th instant is a letter signed "George Symes, for self and 'Vindicator.'" Mr Symes denies being the writer of "Vindicator's" letter. If he was not he has the credit generally of heing the author. In fact, anyone reading his last letter in your paper can't mistake the author of the other in the Southland paper. He wants to know a little more about his subscription list. Now, sir. those lists that have gone about since that time have reached £7O and upwards, aud now he feels highly indignant about his handsome subscription. If I had had any idea his expectations reached half that amount, I should certainly have had nothing to do w.th it. As for his obligations and thanks I want neither of them. ... He further says if he had known it, he would not have allowed the subscription. One reason was, he thought he would J not live till morning. . That is a very generous excuse. Supposing he had died, would it have cost nothing to bury him ? He could not help hearing that we were getting up the subscription, for it was from those that were all around him when taking him down to the hospital. When we pot to Mr ] Bordeau's store three or four of us added up the : list, counted the money (which amounted, as near i ad I can tell, to about £8) ami gave it to him. Of 1 course I can sec now wc ought to have canvassed the whole district. It was not a large sum. but I ought to have been enough to prevent him fiuir. I calling us so excessively mean. If, as he says, he j did not want the subscription, why did lie not say I so when the money was given to him, and nearly all of us were there? Now, sir, this is the true explanation as far as I know. There are plenty in I the district who know about the arrangement as i will as myst-lf, and if I am wrong in an) thing I \ would thank them to correct me. When we gave i him the money, instead ci returning it lie thanked lus all very kindly for it—but he happeucd to be a [ Christian just then. Mr Symes also tells the County Council I am not doing my duty. They ought to thank him lor being such a vigilant spy on my actions. He forgot to tell them what time 1 go to work and leave off, and he should tell them likewise 1 have not hail to stay at horn' 1 to write this letter; al-o, if there is any other dirty job they should want doing to apply to hiin, as lie is getting very antiaus about my billet. . . . Further, the County Council knew the boy was on the road before !te did, so the news was rather stale. Mr tfvmes likewise says I got my billet "surreptitiously." My word, Mr Editor—what "larnin!" He surely had the schoolmaster to help him with a longhandleo shovel to put that wor.l in its place. Now, sir, this Mr Symes says (mark the v ord)--" didn't I hear yon say in your own house that if Mr Murray worked tiie telephone during school hours he would have to gn." Well, I do not deny it, and say the «anie now. If Mr Symes will take the trouble to ask the Kducation Board whether they pay Mr Murray to look after the children or the telephone during I school hours, they no doubt will think him very j smart fur asking su-di a c|iiestion. In this I thank him for giving me some credit though unwittingly—for looking after school affairs. Hut this person came to my house, it seems, under the name of friend, totiy and catch some expressions he could use against me in print at his pleasure. He has mistaken lus occupation, and would Jo far better in Ireknd under the English Government. It will be a warning to the people around to be earefui what they say when Symes ; s present, or they may find some of their expressions in print when they least expert it. But, Sir, this George Symes, in both of his letters, has continually brought the schoolmaster to the front as a very illused person. If he has | any claim against the Committee why does he not | bring it before them, and if they won't consider it, he can appeal to the Board. As for his firewood, he had plenty of time to get twenty cords if he j wanted it. And now I would ask George Symes to put this : letter in his bosom and carry it about with him to read it to hi« friends, as he did the ietter signed "Vindicator.'' In future, I shall take no more notice of any of his letters. As for his other i accusations and insinuations, I hurl them back in I his teeth with the greatest possible contempt.— I am, etc. B.C. Skippers, 23rd April, 18S7. [A great portion of above epistle is omitted on account of its personal character. As "8.C." and "Vindicator" have both now had two innings (tha latter once in another paper), and have washed out a h'.rge quantity of dirty linen in public, it is to be j hoped they will drop further offensive personalities. ! Abuse or exposure of another's weaknesses never ' yet advanced any good cause, and is, moreover, " very apt, iike the boomerang, to return upon the thrower. Probably if some dispassionate writer w*re to give a true version of the case, it would be ; found that each party (for they bteni to have taken sides) is more or less in the wrong. The great pityis that so much should have been said that, is likely to bring a most valuable institution into disrepute. If our correspondents would only shake hands and I try to pull together in an endeavor, by little concessions, to better what they complain about, we | arc sure they would gain more respect from their ' neighbors, besides doing a deal more to benefit the I community in which their lot is cast.—Ed. L. W.Jl.] \