CR HEMMINGWAY'S MISSTATEMENTS.

Opunake Times, Volume I, Issue 36, 2 November 1894, Page 3

CR HEMMINGWAY'S MISSTATEMENTS.

(to the editor.) Sir, —I see by your report of the discussion regarding merging at the last Council meeting, that Mr Heinmingway, in denying tue charges of misrepresentation brought forward against him in connection with the first Awatuna meeting, expressed a wish that the Council should bring forward the chairman of that meeting, if necessary, to clear him of those charges, and that he was quite willing to abide by the result. As I happen to be the person he refers to as chairman on that occasion, I will, with your permission, relate what I know of the matter for the benefit of the Couucil, including Mr Hemmingway, who appears equally with the other members to require enlightening on the subject. He says he told the ratepayers here that their interests were more closely allied with Opunake, also that they should take time to consider the subject before signing the petition. This is totally incorrect. The whole tenor of Mr Hemmingway's remarks was in the opposite direction. He said it would bo madness on our part to ally ourselves with any portion of a poverty-stricken county like Taranaki, and that if we knew as much as he did of the poor quality of the land and the class of people who lived in Parihaka riding, we would never dream of such a thing. On the other hand, he depicted the advantages of an alliance with a rich county like Hawera (the overdraft was not so large at that time), and strongly urged that we Bhould merge at once, and finished up by saying that should we decline to do so a separate road district would be formed east of the Auroa Bond, and then merged with Hawera. I see he now denies having made any misstatement, at last meeting, but he voluntarily admitted to me some months afterwards (at Mr Watts' clearing sale at Kaponga) having done so, but as he has denied having made the same admission at a public meeting, it is hardly likely he will own up to this. He also says he never canvassed for signatures to the merging petition. I would like to know how he reconciles this statement with the fact that he produced the petition at

the meeting and obtained the signatures of most of tin so present. If Mr Hemmingway still denies the truth of the above version of his remarks at the meeting referred to, I will invite him to attend a meeting, called at the same place and attended by the same persons, a vote to be taken as to which is the correct version, his or mine, and I am quite willing to abide by the result. —I am, &c, T. Moloney.