Hanger Burt Has a Word to Say.

Otago Witness, Issue 1927, 26 October 1888, Page 28

Hanger Burt Has a Word to Say.

Jock Scott, — Dear Sir : I see in the last issue of the Witness that I am taken to task by the Mataura Ensign for having reported on an old and existing method whereby the Southland license hawkers dispose of licenses to residents of both Otago and Southland, representing them, no doubt, as being available for both districts. The writer says he does not believe ifc, that the intelligence of the Southland anglers teaches them to know better, and that I would be better employed

TRYING TO ARREST THE HAD PEOPLE in Ofcago. Now, Sir, I have no de&irc to convince the Mataura Ensign of the truthfulness of my statement, nor have I any dehire to please that journal for its good opinion, as I know the latter is easily obtained at a trifling cost. But if the intelligence is such as is represented, then I am glad to hear it. It shows there is a considerable improvement which can only be accounted for by my previous action and the small adver-

vertisement given to the Ensign (see that journal of July 1885). Then, again, I would refer yOOy OO to a meeting of the Otago Acclimatisation Society published in the Dunedin. dailies of lotjj January 1885. It says : " A number of anglers resident in Gore forwarded a petition, which was considered, setting forth the grievance that they had taken trout licenses from the Southland society in the belief that these licenses entitled them to fish in the Waikaka, but that now they have found out that they were liable to a prose, cution if they fished that river. From other correspondence before the society, it was appar. ent that the Southland society's ranger in issuing licenses had informed those taking them that they could fish all the tributaries of the Mataura, and that he had no authority from the secretary for doiug so. It was resolved—" That as the anglers of Gore had been misled through no fault of their own, that they be allowed to angle for this season in the Waikaka river." Now, Sir, if the intelligence ia such as is represented, lam greatly deceived. Again, I met one of the Southland agents the other day and I got n friend to ask him "WHERE HE CODLD FISH IF HE TOOK OUT A LICENSE, as I wished to know if he knew the boundary, The reply was, Auywher j where there is trout. All things considered, the less said about either Southland anglers or agents the better. As to arresting the bad people of Obago, I claim to know my duty, and have no need of being reminded about it, especially from Southland. Tho members of the Otago Acclimatisation Society on the receipt of my report know they have only to request the proof, as they did before, and, as was done before, it will be sup. plied. It is part of my duty to protect my em« ployere against fraud, and I have no intention of being bullied out of that course by either the younger brother or the Mataura Ensign,— l am, kc, John Buut, Ranger Otago District.