ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2090, 31 January 1896, Page 5

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

(TO the editor, 1.w.m.)

Sir.—You intimated iu last week's issue of the Mail that the various congregations of the Presbyterian church in this district, when voting a short time ago for a candidate to fill the pulpits of the Wakatipu "joined in an almost unanimous call to the Rev. Mr Blair."

That information puts me forcibly in mind of what occurred one Sunday evening not 50 years ago in the Queenstown church, when a prominent member, after putting a proposition to the meeting, which was duly seconded, and noticing about a dozen hands held up iu favour of it (nut of a full church), declared the motion carried unanimously.

It is true that of those who voted, there is a majority in favor of ihe Rev. Mr Llair, but it is not correct to designate it an nanimous call, ao I venture to say that quite a number, both cf the members and adherents, decline to vote for either of thu candidates put forward by the Southland Presbytery, and 1 think it is a pity such a report as published by you should be seen by Mr Blair, for it does not display the true faelings of the congregation at this end of the district. —I am etc., DSFNTD. [The information upon which our paragraph waa based was supplied by an active member of the Church. Possibly the call would have been by no mean 3 "almost unanimous," (as our correspondent contends) had members voted according to their conscientious convictions; for our informant himself remarked that, finding after discussion his choice was in a minority, he supported the other side and voted for the Rev Mr Blair for peace sake and the appearance of greater unanimity in favour of the successful candidate.—Ed. 1 L.W.M.']

THE GARSTON EMBROGLIO. (to the editor, 1.w.m.) Sir—The castigation that I gave Messrs Sutherland and Cunningham in your issue of the 17th seems to have touched tlieir. on some very tender spots, to judge by their actions since seeing the paper alluded to. Mr S., in particular, took the matter very badly, as he was seen on the Friday evening, scon after the papers arrived, writhing and squirming., in a manner very suggestive. A person who saw him, remarked to me, that he was seriously considering the advisability of sending for a straight jacket for him. I believe I alluded to ihem in my last letter as cowards, curs, and sneaks, and your last issue proves that they are all I said they were, for they are neither of them game to tackle me singlehanded, with either hands or pen, but must needs doublebank. They both have something to say about pigs. Now it is a very strange thing, Mr Editor, that people like S. and C., can never have a bit of a equabble without bringing their relations into the matter, which I think is a pity, as the relations referred to (the pigs) are the most respectable members of the herd that S. and C. belong to. Of course C. is only a " stop gap " in this as in the other affair, and as he is a mediocre sort of a creature and perfectly harmless, I will confine most of my remarks to Mr S. In assuming a worn de plume (more French) I was following the usual course, and as he was afraid to put his name to his first effusion, 1 did not feel called upon to put my name to my lftter. Mr S. says that no one has more opportunities cf knowing that he is no crawler than I have. My answer to that is, that I suspected he was one bt f »re he was in the district a month, and his actions since have confirmed that suspicion. A man who would sneak and crawl to get back to a committee after once resigning, is capable of anything. In reference to his statement that the hall was engaged for a school entertainment, I give him the lie direct. How could it be engaged for • certain date when the School

| Cbmmittte did not know themselves (until the evening in question) what date the ball was to be held on ? And at the meeting this evening, it was decided that one of the Committee should ask the hall trustees for th< use of the hall to hold the entertaiument in. So your Correspondent's statements must be taken with a very large grain of salt. Mr * has been heard to remark that he had no oh jection to the hall being used for a dance, but that he had a " set" on some of the shareholders who were trying to get it up, and he thought he would " sit on " them but found himself sat on instead. There was no

question of flitting on anyone when the proposal to build the hall was first mentioned. One family in the district took up half the shares, and found half the money to build the place. There was no talk of " sitting on "them then. It suited Mr S's book for others to find the money, and let him run the blooming show. But, oh no, Mr S., we are not built that way, and if there is any credit due to anyone for having the place clear of debt, this one family deserve it, as it is

through their exertions that it is clear. I always noticed that when there was a ball got up for the benefit of the hall, and there was any decorating or work to be done, that Messrs S. and C. were always conspicuous by their absence.

The reason why so many shareholders turned up on New Year's eve, was to enquire into the mismanagement of the hall business by S. and C. And here, let me remark, there must have been something "crooked " in the management, when an old man 65 years of age—a man well-known and respected in the district many years before S» or any of his clique ever came near it, and who is also the largest shareholder in the concern v.-as present at the meeting on New Year's eve for the avowed purpose of either making the Committe act straight and honest, or turning them out. To show up a little of Mr S's style of doing business, I must tell you that the price fixed for letting the hall was 7s 6d for a half night's entertainment, but in the hall ad. book Mr. S. ouly marked down 10s as the result of letting the place twice. What became of the other 5s ? And the last people that had the hall broke about 5s worth of lamp glasses, etc, but Mr S. never troubled his head about trying to get something allowed fcr breakages. No wonder the -shareholders were disgusted with his management. I think they were quite justified in turning him out, and, to back my opinion, I challenge S. to call a meeting of shareholders ana to get everyone who holds a share to be present. And we will put it to the vote, whether I and the other shareholders were right in shuuting him and his toady or not. Another thing I might tell Mr S. and that is, he had no power to refuse the hall to a shareholder even if he (S.) had the whole of the Committee at his bark, for it was an understood tiling from the first, that any shareholder who wanted the hull could get it. No doubt I.lr S. will dispute this, as he has already done more than once. But lam prepared to leave it to the majority if he will accept my challenge and call a meeting. The reason thar o. and his cliqne have such a set on me is because I could sec through their little from the first, and I did my best to counteract their underhand woik. It was I that proposed that a bonk should he kept, and all money transactions jotted down therein. I daresay my move checked a nice little game, and that is why they are so bitter against me. Not that it troubles me in the least, for I don't care the snap of my fingers for the g(.od or bad opiniou of the whole Garston clique. lam a man who prefers the enmity, to the friendship, of a lot of sueaking cads.

As to the hint about the hall being turned into a grain store, that is not a bad idea at all Mr S.

As to Mr S's real cause for refusing the hall for a dance, if he was so full of respect for the departed as he wishes people to believe, why did he not put off the Boxing day sports ; and why did lie not stop the daucr that was held in the hall? All that afternoon, some of his own particular toadies, were dancing that day ; and there was not a word said. Rut there was a great outcry as anyone else wanted the place, a 11hi■ ugh it was wanted on a date six days further away from the melancholy event that S. alludes to. Where is hij consistency ? Gone behind the door to k« » p hii principles and courage company, I suppose. Mr S's bit of bluster about not b< ing afraid of me, is amusing to anyone who understands his changed habits sine • he started his c introversy. It is very qu -er that he never goes out now except to keep the owls company and then generally with two or three of the clique as a body guard.

Thcs. SorKR, Alia* ATM-Clique, Garston, January 23th, 1896.