TRADERS AND LOCAL BODIES’ SUPPLIES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7048, 9 February 1910, Page 1

TRADERS AND LOCAL BODIES’ SUPPLIES

SHOPKEEPER ..AND HIS " AGENT" ANOTHER NARIER EXPLANATION. ■PICLAX 1 O TH» “ TIMES.” JNAPIEE, February 8. Tlie question <jft supplies to local bodies in Napier has ; taken on a new phase. I wired recemtlj?-that the Charitable Aid Board hud bee n called upon to explain a transaction \of over Jl3O in which the person- wli) rendered the account ; and the perex >n who receipted the voucher, althouj jh purporting to be the same, wa*> not c onfident about the spoilins of his nan ie. In the account the name was spell od "McEwcn,” the penultimate letter; being "e,” while in the receipt the nan ie is spelled "a”‘for the peuultima be letter. To-night the "Telegraph” pi ablishes two letters, , one 1 from "ex-Couua jlor Eagletou, the other from "B. ilcK won,”- the being the same as, Mi the account rendered to the hoard. Tb ese letters, taken, together, are curious pn aduotions. I append them both;— -■ .■'■V , ' : V i AN 2 EXPLANATION. , ' (' To the Editor.) Sir, —In an swer to a leader of this evening re ti .i® above, I feel it a duty both to the I public and' to myself that I ought to ) ;pve you an explanation ot my complied* .y in* . the above-mentioned article, as I am undoubtedly the gentleman referred to who does not know his own identity, namely. B. HcEwcn. •' At the time ret erred ’to in your article X was, as yo u abate, ouatodian. of the Arcade. I Have never been in business on my own' 1 account in. Napier or elsewhere, and ; have never ■ represented any wholesale h! ouse in this district for t the aal© of amy* goods such as you state were sold or sup plied to the Charitable Aid. Board on jor about June 24th of last year. Aboa’it tin* time you mention in your leadei.* on. this subject I was approached b y a, certain gentleman (who had a sho> p for the sale of travellers* samples, « lc., in the Arcade, and who has since ii amoved to Emerson street, and who- held i i seat on the Napier Borough Council, rfi id .a wafc ou the Charitable Aid, Board ) ami was afeked by him -f I would ol )lige him by signing au order for him for certain goods to bo supplied to fc .oo ChiantaMe Aid Board, ho stating at the time that it was necessary for lif im to get some other signature than , his i own, but not telling me that it was iU egal .for ‘ him to supply-such goods.. X; signed . the said: oraer rather reluctant! y, but without scruple, knowing lum j o be then' occupying au honourable poa iti-on. in this city and must therefore have gained the. confidence of the majdi ity of residents. 1 also had my own poaii fcian to look to, and w’hat influences i night have been-brought to bear against j are if. I, had .refused to oblige Mr .Couf ncillor. - 1 Subsequently,; as you atate, /th q sauue; gentleman came to mo and told, me there was a cheque made payable.: to Die at his shop' for which lie requi red, me to sign a voucher and also end orse the cheque that he might cash th< y same. ' 1 remember remarking at the ] time, "I wiwh it were mine,*' but I : assure' you. and the public of Napier ; that I. personally never received any finis ncial benefit out of the transaction hoa *ein referred to, and I am most sincere, in expressing my regret at having bee n im plica,ted. in such an illegal businesu } transaction. Trusting that the reaidenri s of this city will fully understand -tf he position in* - which I was placed, and ho w unwittingly I was drawn into this uc ipleasant business —I am, etc..

B. MeEWEN, 23, Bower street,- Napier.; - Febr nary'Sth, 1910. .‘ LOCAL BODIES' SUPPLIES. (To ; the Editor.) Sir,- —I noted in. your issue of last cvendf ag that you assume that a member of ti o United District Charitable Aid Boart 1 has supplied goods to that body through a somewhat mythical person, one “B. ' McEwem.” Now, there -is nothing myth ical about the whole proceeding. The facts are 1 that I was ; requested bo supp ly the goods, but stated- that 1 oouu 1 not, as the law only allowed sup-pli-ci iup to .£lO. Even this I find since is not. according to law. X was under the imp; cession that ,as long as goods were supi died through a person in no way coni iccted with the board it was. perfect ly legal. This I did, after consulting the chairman, .Hr C. 11. Granby, wh») was evidently under the same ini-' pro ision as mysoll, although Mr Crauby. aid privately past a doubt on. the matter to .me one day near- the Post Office son io three or four months after the transaction. . However, the, goods were SIS pplied by Mr McEwen.from my stock ami by my request to him, everything ba jng done quite; openly. As a matter of fact, X mentioned thu matter, to a ge ntieman. running a similar business to mine, thus showing that I did not tl link that I had anything to Hide. . On J( uly 9th, 1909, the finance committee s it, consisting of Messrs C. H. Granby {( ihairman), W. Shiimpton, L. McHardv, 1 ,V. 3. McGrath, K. Beectom,- D. A. I taxter, xuid the writer. Mr Baxter a sited the question, "Who is B-. MoI Swen?" I answered the question in the .' hearing of the whole committee, stating 1 that ho was my' agent. The above is 1 the feme history of the whole proceedting. I write 1 -this so, that the public, ;may be conversant with the whole tran--1 saotion', and that no innocent person me r be blamed. In addition to' the above, I did business in my own name with the board as follows; —May 7th, 13th a,hi SOth, 3909, rugs 13s 6d, 15s (id, and 11s, total JC2. The above. With the .£7 10s 6d for bathing costumes, to the Borough Council, ■is the total of my business transactions with tlie whole of the local bodies on. which I have had 'a scat during the past nine years and a. half. Each and every transaction .was executed by me 1 considering' at the time that they were perfectly legal, otherwise T would not have done the business. ! What is more, I am of opinion that the various officials concerned were of the same opinion. I am informed officially this morning that my seat on the Borough Council is awaiting my successor, consequently,. I infer, being the council’s representative on the Charitable Aid and Hospital Boards, two more chairs are awaiting new occupants. I am also informed officially that tboso now disqualified cannot contest a seat for the Borough Council until April, 1911. The present Charitable Aid and Hospital Boards cease to exist next month, when new boards under the new Act will tie elected by the burgesses. All being well then I shall offer my services to, them, to that they may be able at the poll to express