PRESENTATION TO MR GRANT. OF MILTON. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10444, 21 August 1895, Page 4

PRESENTATION TO MR GRANT. OF MILTON. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,—You gave a report ;ome time ajo of a presentation made to Mr F. Grant, of Milton, as a kind of solatium for the'penalty inflicted on him for a breach of the licensing law. Ia making the' presentation- Mr Donald Reid, of Jlilton, ia reported to have said : " The list of subscribers I now hold in my hand contains, with- two exceptions, the-names of the oldest residents and tradespeople in Milton," Apart from the exact meaning of words, the whole drift of the speech was evidently fitted to create the impression that the bulk of the people in Milton ("the principal residents," as •Mr Grant put it in his reply) were at one-with Mr Reid in his adverse cnticism of. Mr Hawkins's- decision and his expressions of sympathy with Mr Grant. Not a few old.residents here feel that they have been grievously misrepresented, and that sentiments have been imputed to thera with which they entirely disagree. They are unwilling to lie under the imputation: of having offered a gross insult to the stipendiary magistrate or having shown a morbid sympathy with crime. Mr Reid can have no wish to fix an "unmerited stigma oa the reputation of the ; borough of which -he is mayor. Neither can'he mean to discredit the judicial fairness of the magistrate before whom he has to appear in the interests ot his clients. Ifc is not unreasonable, thesefore, to suppose that h<r will be glad of fcho opportunity to set himself right with all parties by publishing the list of subscribers to the presentation. If-i.he declines to do so his own reputation will have to stand as the only voucher for "the truth of statements which there1 is reason to believe are very misleading. ;Mr Reid's absence in Wellington is.the reason for delay in taking notice of this matter.—l _m,'i_C., ._";■-/•■ -Js7-"J: 7 Jas. CmsHorat. ... The Manse, Milton, August 19.:;