THE HARBOUR BOARD ELECTIONS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19465, 28 April 1925, Page 12

THE HARBOUR BOARD ELECTIONS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir., —One can hardly compliment Messrs Waters, Gillies, and Co. on their letter* in to-day's issue of your paper. The iiri-t is a laboured attempt "to justify the existence of the Citizens' League, and the other sonic trifling remarks as to their reasons for not placing me on their "ticket," as they are pleased to term it. 1 have never at any time asked the support of the league, and if it decided previously to include, me among its chosen ones I have no complaint to make; but 1 do object to. this league attempting to induce the electors to believe that it ia representative of the citizens of Dunedin when Messrs Waters, Gillies, and Co. are now forced to admit that the " many different groups in the community " which they affirmed the league represented are restricted to "trading and manufacturing." If those gentlemen cannot he clever, let them at least be honest. As Air M'Donald very pertinently asks, why is it that Mr H. C. Campbell, tho president of the Importers' Association, who has boen the representative of tho payers of dues on goods on the Otago Harbour Board for the last ten years, should, on seeking re-election as a representative of the electors, have the support of the Citizens' League? Obviously, tho answer is that the "trading and manufacturing" interests desire to have ona more representative on the board. Is it to be expected that Mr Campbell, who ha-s been tho mouthpiece of the Importers' Association on tho board, will, if returned by the electors on the league's ''ticket," '•ease to servo his employers ? Can the Ethiopian change liis sicin or the leopard its spots? If the electors are sufficiently interested to examine my record on the. board, they will find that I have not hesitated to support a measure, although it may have been contrary to my own interests. My conduct seems to have been somfc. what unpalatablo to Messrs Waters, Gillies, and Co., who are apparently quite in capable of realising that, when one is elected by tho electors of Dunedin, although supported by the league, his duty is to the electors and not to the league. Tt may bo,, however, that I have been uncharitable to these gentlemen ' and that Mr Campbell has really been too clever for thorn. As for my colleague on tho board, Mr M'Donald, I have" observed closely his actions on tho board for the last four years and am satisfied that they have boen actuated by the highest motives. —I am, etc., Keith S. Ramsay. Dunedin, April 27.