A Misleading Statement.

Northland Age, Volume VIII, Issue 25, 9 February 1912, Page 5

A Misleading Statement.

I hope that in future your “own correspondent ” will be more oareful with bis reports, more espeoially whe* they are oaloulated to be detrimental to any person or persons.—l am, eto., GEO. COSSON.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—Under ilte heading l of “ Awanui,” in yeur issue of January 19th, I find the following statement frem “your own correspondent ” :—“ Mr. Dunlop Smith’s pontoon partly sank in the river on Sunday, close to Messrs. L. A, W. Subritzky and Co.’s gumshed, oausing a quantity of metal to bo preoipitated into the river. This will necessitate a good deal of diving for, as the same is in the fairway of navigation, the plaoe being the most shallow part of the river.” This statement is misleading, if not partly untrue. Some metal from one of Mr. Smith’s pontoons did get into the river, and that gentleman immediately put on men who dived and got it out at onoe. The s.s. Apanui has twioe been over the spot aud the Greyhound onee, without touohing any metal. Further than this, the water at the place indieatod by your “ own correspondent ” is clear enough to enable anyone to see the bottom of the river and that “ qnautity ef metal ” is somewhere else. Probably it is fixed in the Imagination of your correspondent or his informant.

I understand that Captain H. Subritzky alleges that he employed some of his crew to dive for this metal, and that they (“the orew”) disoovered and brought some to the surface. I hear that he has written to the Marine Board concerning the matter. I hope that I am misinformed, but if he has done these things I will risk saying that it is a pity he has not something better with whioh to employ his time. To my certain knowledge the Mangonui County Counoil have for some time pest been trying to get someone to go in for the plant aeoesiary for bringing this metal from the Awanui Heads, in order that we may have good roads. Now that the man with the neoessary pluok, energy and intelligence has come along in the person of Mr. Dunlop Smith the same old unprogressive section of our community appear to plaoe all the obstaoles in his way that they can rake up for that purpose. If there had been any metal iu the river which would have been a danger to navigation, would It not have been kinder and wiser to have helped Mr. Smith get it out rather than to have rushed off to advertise the faot ?