CORRESPONDENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue 92, 1 April 1902, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

] [We do not hold ourselves responsible for j opinions expressed by our correspondents.]

LATE KIFLE ASSOCIATION MEETING. TO THE BDITOII, Sift, —As you Imvo copied correspondence on the K<utnke protest at the late tmetinp, from tho Egmont Selller, will you do mo the fairness to insert the following in reply ?—Mr Woodhead pretends to give unbiassed facts, and . thon leads off with a lot of statements,' not one of which is true. Briefly, the facts are these: The first intimation our club had of the existence of the Association was a notice of the Government match and a programme of tho meeting, which we received two days after the entries had closed. Had Mr Woodhead attended to his duties, and sent us the notice in proper time, he would have received a guinea from our club, and a number of subscriptions from inemberg who would have attended the meeting. Being debarred, however, through his neglect, from competing in the Association matches, we had to fall back on the Government one. Our secretary saw LieutenantOolonel Ellis and Captain Taunton, and j both assured him that the three shillings ei.trance fee was all that was re- j quired from anyone to entitle him to compete for the Government prizes. On the strength of this assurance, our members paid their entrance fee to Captain Taunton, and attended the meeting. We found our names duly posted on the board as having entered, but were informed that before we could fire, we must pay a subscription of 7a 6d each to the Association. This demand we naturally resented, and staled what Colonel Ellis had informed us, and asked to ba allowed to meet a Few members of the council in tbe secretary's tent to talk tbe matter over. Even this common courtesy and just demand was denied us, and our secretary was informed that if he persisted in arguing our claim he would be ordered ofi the fifld. Eventually they offered to reduce tbe amount to five shillings, which I, of course, refused to pay, as well as their final one of giving it uader protest. On tbe ammunition being served out, I asked Mr Woodhead if he would allow us to fire or return our entrance fees; he refused to do either, and I then handed him in a pretest and marched the men off the field. On the following day I waited on Colonel Ellis and told him what had occurred, and he informed me that I had done quite right in not giving even fivejpence (I quote his own words), as the Association had acted directly opposite to the intentions of the Government, and that he would see that not a penny prize-money was handed over to the Association until satisfaction had been given us, Mr Woodhead mentions Martin and Sinclair as being members of our club. Lieutenant Martin belongs to the Egmont Mounted Rifles, and Sinclair I never heard of. Now in regaid to the claim of 10s for tho day lost. We had to drive mostly in separate conveyances over ten miles to New Plymouth to oatch the first train; stable and feed our horses for the day; pay cab hire to the grounds and back; and three meals also to pay for. Taking 8s for day lost, 2s 6d for stabling and feed of horse, cab hire 2s, three meals at Is 6d 4s 6d, we have 17s (without allowing anything for our traps and horses) which we could have justly claimed. Mr Woodhhead's impertinence in publishing my letter to him, with his illmannered and untruthful comments, must, I am sure, have grieved and shamed the Association; and the copy of his published reply (the original of which has not aeen Bent me) is a disgrace to him and the association he represents. In conclusion, as one who has taken a keen interest in sport of all kinds during my thirty years residence in Taranaki, my reputation cannot suffer from any vile insinuations cast by such a person as Mr Woodhead has proved himself to bo. So disgusted are members of diflerent corps who attended the meeting, at the treatment received, th.*t we have decided to form an association amongst ourselves in these districts to insure fair play and freedom from insult.—l am, etc., T. E. CnowHUßsr, Captain Kaitaki Rifle Club. [The correspondence was not copied by us but sent to us direct by Mr Woedhead, and the originals can hs seen by anyone interested.—Ed. News.]

ROWDYISM AT MOTUEOA.

TO THH BDIXOB. Sib, —I and many other* was pleased te see that you called attention to the drunkenness and fighting that took place at Moturoa on Good Friday. I saw myself three or four men disgustingly drunk, with bottles of liquor, staggering along the beach in the vicinity to the breakwater, to the annoyance of the public picnicking there. Later on there was a more disgusting scene on the road batween the hotel and the breakwater—a stand-up fight between two man, surrounded by a ring of their comrades in battles, nil pretty well drutk. I have heard that they hailed from the steamer; a most disgusting exhibition on a Good Friday. '1 he day is coming when a constable will have to be stationed at Moturoa. —I am, etc., Settler.