A MISLEADING STATEMENT.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 264, 7 November 1912, Page 3

A MISLEADING STATEMENT.

TO THE EDITOR,

Sir, —The long letter which appeared in Monday's issue of The Express above the name of J. Fulton was evidently written under much agitation. Mr Fulton has no doubt seen the result of the question which was discussed by the Sounds Farmers' Union, and as the election is now about to take place he is anxious to appear in his best light. Mr. Fulton makes reference .to how we started life, which seems quite out of place. My early recollections of him: Racehorses,' hunters, and tandem teams, which are not usually associated with, dry bread. Further down Mr Fulton hints that I" had endeavored to do something not quite right. Why does not Mr Fulton^ if he is a man, say straight what he means? One thing I did not do was to try to get the largest landowner in the Wakainarina across the river. Mr Fulton refers to his not being able to get a seconder to his motion for cutting up the Opouri Valley, 'i'he facts of that case are that the Opouri Valley is not under the jurisdiction of any Land Board, so it would have been quite useless wasting the Board's time over the question. I have always been told that people who live in glass houses should not throw stones. " Mr Fulton's very pleading letter goes to show how anxious he is to help the Crown .tenants. Only some three meetings back the question of assessing about 3000 acres of Crown lands in the Upper Pelorus came before the Board; all wretchedly poor land, almost dear at a gift; some of the sections valued-at £l per acre. I complained that the values were excessive, and proposed tp reduce the surveyor's values by 10 per cent. No - seconder. I tried again to move that they be reduced... 2$ per acre. No seconder. Where was the Crown tenant's friend? Sitting tight; and why? Let him answer. 1 then moved that the land be put up under the Bush and Swamp Act. That I got carried. Mr Fulton says he knows why I am standing against him. Well, he. has known that for the last nine months. He says he is sorry he is-forced to put pen to paper in selfdefence. Now, in my very short letter that he'refers to I wrote onyl the puie bare facts as they occurred. It seems a p^ty Mr Fulton should take exception to my offering my services to the Crown tenants, because the seat is open to any one of them. Does he think it belongs to him, or is he still eating dry bread? h. m:. reader. Havelock, November 5, 1912.