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Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 17, 22 October 1878, Page 2

AhukK'ltvu.u. As.ioi'r.vfios'. — Mr A.\ Walker, Hon. Secretary of tho -Agriculturul Association, has r. ;eivo.l a note frou Mr A. F. Halcombe of Feilding, in answer to the letter advising him of '.is election as one of the vice-presidents. Mr llnlcombo Bays : — "ln reply I beg to decline the profferred honour, a3, if tho headquarters of the Society are to bo at Foxhon, I should bo uaable to give thafc active support to- tho Society I should wish to do. I am, moreover, oppo3od to Societies of a purely local character, as they do not to my mind, fu'fil the intention with which tin Agricultural and Pastoral Society should be formed." In his reply, it appears to us Mr Halcombe' s two reasons hardly dovotai'. It' he considers the Association one "of a purely local character," it would have been better to li'ive said «o, and to have declined on that ground. Mr Halcombo is opposed to Societies of a " purely loc il character," but he would find considerable difficulty in applying that definition to the one recently started, ■which numbers members fi-oin every district between Fcildiug and Otaki. We regret Mr Halcombs has shown so narrow a spirit. He surely cannot mean the district to infer that Feilding is Manawatu, and that any Society started in another placo would b-2 a " purely local one.' 1 Every society must havj headquavter3 somewhere ; yet Mr H i!combo's remarks appear to imply that because in this instance Foxtoa .was selected, it must 'necessarily be local. Wo can assure him nd such ido.i was intended. Nay, move, every, thing possible was done to prevent such a supposition . Invitations were sent all over the district, vice-presidents were elected from every important centre, and Foxton having gallantly taken the initiative, it is surely not too much when the peoplo ask for the doubtful and arduous honor of doing all the work necessarily arising from .the starting of the Society. Yet wo think every unbiassed settler will admit that is all thoy gain.