Re the Heddon Bush Meeting

Southland Times, Issue 19004, 25 March 1903, Page 4

Re the Heddon Bush Meeting

To the Editor

Sir,— l was surprised to read in today's Times the rein arks of your Heddon Bush - correspondent . in regard to the movements of .Mr Paterson, Organising Secretary to ,-the Unfan. because I believe th«; 'Writer was present at the meeting. and therefore sufficiently acquainted with the matter •to have stated the whole truths. Mr Paterson was in the Hoddon Bush district on the 13th, as timed to be, but :was led to go, over to the sale at b'tautau by. its being' represented to him that he would - have the better chance of '^ meeting^'more farmers there. . .Neitherl.Mr~"Patqrson nor myself were ever advised that a meeting of the branch had been called for the evening of the 14th, and had either of us been advised, as slibuld have been done, Mr Paterson would: have made arrangements to have been present. This was pointed out by "Mr Paterson to the President, Treasurer, and another member of the Branch at my office on the Saturday morning when wo heard of the meeting for the first time, and as Mr Paterson explained he had to go northwards to attend some bad cases, the President suggested he should write a

letter to the meeting explaining the circumstances, .which was done, and the President undertook to read it, and also to. carry on the., meeting on lines suggested By Mr Paterson .

In the letter ofthe Secretary to the Executive, he states "the President arrived -before 9' pui." : ;(h6t 10 o'clock «i 9 your correspondent jputs it), and esplai«Bdf: he had -fseeiivMr Paterson ; and read thte note "froiu- him; so .that your correspondent's remarkb , .that "no one seemed to have any knowledge c-f Kis, Mr Faterson's, \y hereabouts," are not according to .facts. . I regret the misunderstanding and tJiink it will bo seen, if the Secretary of the Branch, bad given us proper notice of the meeting, all this trouble would have been saved. — Yours, •etc., Invercargill, RIOHD. ALLEN, 23rd March. . Secretary.