ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 739, 22 August 1878, Page 2

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

TO THE EDITOH OF 'IHJS EVENING MAIL. Sik, —Will you kindly permit me to make a few remarks through your columna in response to " Outsider," whose letter appeared in your issue on Monday evening.. In the first place your correspondent says he is puzzled to know the motives actuating the three different parties in the Committee. 2. He considers the hasty offer made to Mr. H-lines fur a si'e in such an out-of-the-way place as Deborah an egregious mistake. 3. That had the Association fixed on the place above-mentioned the Society would have suffered, as the larger bulk of the citizens would have withdrawn their support, and the expense of conducting the shows would be largely increased ; and recommends Mr, Lewis's paddock as being the most suitable.

Now, uir, witfe »gwd to the first question. lam one of the three parties he alludes to, and one who supported the site he refers to at Deborah, and I am not ashamed to own it. I will now give you my reasons for so doing. In the first place, I think it should be the aim of the •Society to. encourage competition, as, wichout competition, there would be no show ; therefore, we must study the benefit of exhibitors. By selecting the site at Deborah we should have the benefit of a railway station alongside the ground, with cattle-yards and everything necessary for the conveyance of stock ; and as I believe it is the intention of the Society to erect buildings such as stalls for horses and cattle during the time of show, there is an abundance of loose stone on the ground, besides a running stream-of water through the property of great value for show purposes. There could not be a better site chosen to get a view of the district than Deborah, and I am certain that visitors from a distance would leave the showaround at Deborah with a far better opinion of the district than if it were held in a place such as Lewis's, where little or nothing could be seen of the surrounding country. Besides this, the distance is only about half-a-mile farther from the centre'of the town, and the price per acre at Deborah is less than half of that wanted for Lewis's.

With reference to the 3rd question, I am of opinion that the larger bulk of the citizens have already withheld their support ; and for those who wished to attend on the show day I consider Deborah the most convenient, as they could be set down by rail on the ground for Gel, a sum less than it would cost them to get to Lewis's. The booths would also sell at nearly double the amount they do at present. Now, Sir, nvy opinion of Lewis's is this : In the first place it is too small, 1 have very good reason to believe, for our future requirements ; secondly, the price is too high, and the road lino into it far too narrow for stock ; thirdly, the land is too low and swampy, and visitors would have no view of the district. I may also add that I believe that stock coming by train will have to be landed at Deborah, as there are no conveniences at Oamaru for such, and there are not likely to be. You therefore see my reasons for writing in fivor of Deborah ; and I am convinced taking all things into consideration, that it is the best place for both town and country.—lam, &c, Ax Insider.