TUAPEKA COUNTY MATTERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16538, 11 November 1915, Page 8

TUAPEKA COUNTY MATTERS

TO THE EDITOE. ■biR,~ At a meeting of tlio. r J?uapeka County Council on September 10 the ciiairman (Mr R. M'Donald) reported on the closing oi tno Menzion bridge. He said that several of the settlers had. been taken by surprise, owing to tho shortness of the notice that had been given*and had approached him to have tho bridge left open for a few days to allow them to get their seed out for sowing. Ho had visited the bridge, and explained to Mr Adam Wallace, who was preparing for the renewal of the superstructure, and"had told him not to do anything, so far as dismantling the bridge, till he (the chairman) had communicated with the engineer and Mr Doake (tho bridge foreman); but, instead of doing this, he found l , ho said, that directly his back was turned Wallace had pulled off the decking, and practically left the eettlers stranded. He considered that this was a very highhanded action, and that the council should show its disapproval of it in some form. Members' of the council looked upon it as a very serious action, and, after some, discussion as to how they should deal -with the matter, it was unanimously resolved—"That Adam Wallace be censured for insubordination to the chairman, and that he be suspended by the council during the pleasure of the chairman."

I wish to give an emphatic denial to the above statement, except in the particular that the chairman visited the bridge, and I challenge him to prove any of his other statements to be correct. In such times as these we hear a. great deal about British fair play. I should like to know where the fair play came in, as I was condemned without a hearing-. As a protest against the chairman's action, the bridge foreman (Mr, Doake) refused to go back to work until I had been satisfactorily reinstated. The chairman expected me to ,go and apologise to him, in which case things would be all right; but in the end, after a lot of persuasion by Mr Doake, he condescended to come to me and admit that he had made a mistake. When charged with the statements ho had made he repudiated them point blank", and blamed the other members of the council for making it appear that ho was respons : ble for them. He then made a statement before Mr Doake and myself, that he would, at thn next meeting of the council, on October 27, admit he made a mistake, would have his motion rescinded„ and would exonerate me from all blame. This he failed to do. I am willing to forfeit the sum of £20 if the chairman can prove his statements true or show tint I lv>.ve toVl any untruths. If he fail? to do this, I will expect him-4.0 forfeit a like amount to the secretly of Hie MMlrr's Fl»* Patriotic Society, w'th "■hn**i a d'porit will be left on mv behalf. —I am. A. Wallace. Miller' 3 Flat, November 8.