A LIVELY MEETING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2253, 6 May 1897, Page 12

A LIVELY MEETING.

The proceedings at the meeting of householders in the North Taieri district were very lively. The Taieri Advocate reports that Mr W. Smellie first brought up a grievance in that everything in the way of work had been done by men from Motgiel. Mr Currie (the chairman) said there were no qualified men in the district ; not one wbo could cut a hedge or clean a tank. Mr li. Saiellie having made a statement to the effect that he had informed Mr Rankin concerning some work, the latter retorted " Ifc'u a lie." A little later Mr R Smellie said he wonld not bs bothered with such a crowd. Mr W. Smellie then read a letter which he

j had received from the retiring committee some 1 time ago asking him to return £2, left over f rota a school concert, or if ha had not got it to say who had. He asked the chairman if there had been any balance struck for 1895 or 189 V ? ' The Chairman said he could not, remember if there was, but he was certain that the money was never paid in. Mr Smellie : The money was paid in. The Chairman: You are telling an untruth. You tore up the papers of the coacßrt in my house. Mr Smsllie : I never saw the accounts of ( the 1895 concert. t The Chairman : You ars telling a manifest story.

Mr Smellie : I am not. The Chairman : You infernal fellow that you are ; yon are a cowardly fellow. Why did you not come to me before about it ? You are a perfect coward ; yoa bring up things and cannot stand over them. You cowardly man, you did nob pay for your own tick<?t3. You area low scoundrel, sir. I could tall you more, too. I know what is sticking in your throat. Sit down, and don'c have me exposing you before the public. Remember that there is a reporter present. What about the £2 ? Mr Smellie : I never had it. The Chairman: Don'fc you try to bring anything against me. There has never been any person able to bring anything against: me since I sat iv the North Taieri. I wrote you to either return the £2 or say who had it. Wasa't that satisfactory in every way ? Mr Smellie : I never sa : d you had the £2. The Chairman : A good thing for you that you did nob. A rather stormy scene ensued, during which nearly all present were talking at onoe. After the accounts had been received a difficulty arose over the election of a new committee, and as all proposed declined nomination, while the chairman declined to put a motion by Mr Smeilie but nob seconded, the meeting broke up without a committee being elected.

W. Smellie, writing with reference to the report of the proceedings at a meeting of householders at North Taieri, quoted by us from the Taieri Advocate, makes the following explanation as to the £2 about which an altercation took place :—": — " Those who read the report are led to infer that I am in possession oi the sum of £2. To be as brief as possible I shall stale the true facts of the case. In the year 1894-, after the accounts of the concert were balancer?, there was a credit of £1, which the treasurer (Mr Currie) then admits. After the concert of 1895 there was not statement of accounts rendered. Now the question arose, Was the £1 carried forward to the 1895 fund ? The treasurer (Mr Currie) said it was, but in the absence of any balance being made up, the position remuins as it stood at the end of 1894-. I mentioned the subjest to one of tha committee who asked the question at a meeting if there was any balance from previous concerts, and that is the way the denvind was made to me by letter — for this £2 Now Sir, in jusbice to myself I state publicly that I do not possess one penny belonging to the North Taieri School Committee, and if Mr Carrie still thinks I have any, he can take proceedings in a summary way, or by an information at a court of justice." Mr Smellie enters at some length into explanations as to expenditure by the school cammittee without contracting for same, and says that the chairman's own son-in-law was employed to cut the Canadian thistles on the school grounds at 6s per day, and that he wag at the time a member of the school committee