Omakau Celebrations.

Otago Witness, Volume 14, Issue 2648, 14 December 1904, Page 54

Omakau Celebrations.

TO THE EDITOR.

I Sir, — Some remarks appear in your Ales> andra correspondent's last letter regarding the ■committee who organised the Omakan celebrations, and much as I dislike having to write on sruch a matter, I feel bound in , duty to that oonmiittee and to myself to do so. Your correspondent charges iis with ignor-s ing the Alexandra Borough Council end the Alexandra .Railway League, and assei-ts positively that no opportunity was giveif- to them to be represented at the banquet. This statement, not to pxtfc tco line a point on it, is ' absolutely untrue. As secretary of the comj xnittee in question, I issued over 80 circulars to the representative men of Central Otago from Hyde to Bannockburn, asking them to take banquet tickets, and amongst those men were the Mayer of Alexandra (Mr G-. 'Spencer), j the chairman of the Alexandra Railway League I (,Mr J. Rivers), all the old identities of Alexandra whose names I knew, and the various county councillors, including Mr Butler, of Bald Hill Flat. Messrs Butler, Iversen, and Beok availed Ihemselves of the invitation. Several other gentlemen apologised for their 1 inability to do so; but nearly every gentleman mvited attended the day function. Most ot them were on the platform, and a glance at the list of names of those accommodated with, seats on the platform. a# per your report, shows that the following Alexandra gentlemen weie provided loi : Messrs G. Spencer (Mayor of Alexandra), W. S. Laidlaw, J. I>. Buchanan, R. B. Grimstone; AY. Theyers (sen.), T Pocock, W. Fraser, R. Ross. T. P. Beck, W. A. Theyers, H. Schauman, S. M'Knight, and A. C. Iversen. I think this is a complete and! satisfactoiy proof that your correspondent's statements- are the '"baseless fabric" of a vision. ' As a matter of fact, the Mayor of Alexandra -personally expressed his regret at his inability t stay for the evening, and 1 not only wrote to him, but personally requested hhn to attend, and his name was on, the toast list for a spesph. Mr Rivers, the chairman of the league, was absent in Christchurch, ar>d could not attend, and apologised to me on his way horns the other "day. 1 feel sure these gentlemen will bear me out in what I say, and considering the fact that our 'committee v/as small, and all cur work unpaid for, it is rather ungrateful on thr part of your correspondent to make such an uncalled-for attack on mere supposition. Not only did 1 issue 80 circulars, but knowing that in cases of this sort some one was bound to be accidentally overlooked, I got the Daily Times to insert a local stating that anybody omitted ■was requested to write to me. Surely this was as nruoli as any cidinary man wanted, and 1 must confess that the man who wanted more was not likely to get it a.t my hands. Those, Sir, ,are the facts 1 , and a. man who represents r. district as newspaper correspondent should take care to ascertain his facts before making serious olia'ges against his fellowmen. This yenr Alexandra correspondent did not db. 2Jor did he tell you that when I found out who he was and that he had been accidentally overlooked, I at 'once wrote to him and cordially invited him, notwithstanding 1 the facfe that he could have written tec me as requested through the press. I have no time for men who go round locking for trouble, and that is just -what "your own" is doing. I verily believe, Sir, theiv are men who, if no other fault could bo found, would have asked why , we didn't invite the man in the moon, and! when I lead isuch criticisms as that of "your own," I cannot help remembering' the remark of the "Self-made Merchant" in his letters to his son, that "the two things the world does not forgive ara success and failure." Our function has proved a, most brilliant success, and! hence those tears, — I am, etc., J. J. RATisAy, Hon. Seo. lato Celebration Committee. Oniakau, December 10. P.S. — I enclose a copy of the circular sent out by me and 'dated' 30th September. This was sent to the Mayor of Alexandra and chairman of league.— J. J. R.

The Ashnurton Mail states that 2171 acres of Lagmhor Estate will be submitted to auction in April next. The portion of th© estate to le sold is adjacent to the Winslow; Railway Station.

At the New Plymouth Magistrate's Court a few days ago a case was heard in which a nurse claimed fees for attending a de« fendant's wife during confinement The magistrate thought the amount claimed rather excessive, and asked claimant if she did not think so also. On being told that the charge was even reduced in this instance^ the magistrate ■exclaimed: "Good gracious j is this why the birth-rate is cteclming? If the baby costs all this, in addition to other recurring expenses, it is not surprising that the working classes don't care to have many." A boy of 13 years of age named John Connell was convicted at Queenstown on Tuesday, 6th inst.. on a charge of enteringthe premises of Mrs Tallentire, and stealing therefrom the siuii of £10 and other articles; and also plca'dcd guilty on a second charge of entering the- store of Mr T. J. Lynch, and taking therefrom a watch and cigarettes. Up to the time of the onences the boy had borne a good character frpm his teachers at school. The Mail says further offences of the same kind are engaging the attention of the local police. The boy was comniit'fced to ts£ i»du§tsial school at Nelsoa.

An earthquake shock, lasting for a few •Bconds Tvas experienced at Kaiapoi at live minutes to 6 o'clock on Friday evening. A sharper shock was felt at Amberley; at 6 o'cloeE, and was followed by several minor shocks*

The Bruce County Council's decision 4o impose a toll of £5 a time on traction engines using the Balolutha-Kaitangata road has had the desired effect, and metal I for Kaitangata streets is now to be taken via rail. — Free Press t