NASEBY v. RANFURLY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19255, 20 August 1924, Page 2

NASEBY v. RANFURLY.

TO the editor. Sir,—l see by your issue of August 16 that “A Ranfurly Well-wisher” charges me with suggesting Wedderburn as a hospital site. That is only one more of the many misleading statements made by people of his kind to prop up a movement which they must know was doomed to failure from its very birth. In my letter which appeared in your issue of August 12, 1 said that Wedderburn is tho true centre of tho Manio toto County, and as Ranfurly is only a mile or two nearer to Wedderburn than Naseby is, the plea of a central situation is too ridiculous for serious consideration, for it simply means that Nasoby has as much right to claim centrality as Ranfurly has;—in fact both towns are the same distance from Wedderburn. I ask “A Ranfurly Well-wisher” if he thinks for one moment that the ratepayers of Maniototo have any intention of submitting to extra rating for the purpose of building a now hospital lor the convenience of a few people on the Maniototo plain. For his benefit I would like to state that Nasebyitcs would sooner accept their decline manfully than stoop to some of the practices of a few of their neighbours. If Naseby is declining, it is at tho rate at which Ranfurly is advancing, and goodness knows that is slow enough. If I have tho habit of putting the truth in a blunt way, I am sorry if it has hurt your correspondent, as some of his statements have really been amusing. ] notice that “A Maniototo Well-Wisher” very cunningly introduces the Fenton Bequest. As a person who is likely to lose his temper might take a serious risk in arguing on such a subject, I say to your correspondent, “nothing doing; too risky.” I suggest to both your correspondents that they should turn what little energy they have to improving what we have already. If they are so keen on spending other people’s money let them agitate to bring tho present institution up to date by equipping it with X-rays, etc. Then, indeed, would they be rendering a truly noble service to suffering humanity. I am, etc., Common Sense. August 16.