From the Mailbag

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20190, 5 July 1928, Page 6

From the Mailbag

THE BIG IDEA ' SINGULAR LACK OF APPRECIATION Sir,—permit me, through your columns, to thank your correspondent “Salt Petro” for the kindly interest hb has displayed in my scheme, and at the same time to express my regret that it would be impolitic, at the present juncture, to allow mys«lf to be drawn into a newspaper controversy on a subject which may possibly form the nucleus of an Imperial project. In my letter to you referred to by ‘Salt Petre,” I camouflaged the fifth proposition of Euclid to prove that my scheme was approved of a quarter of i century ago, and my reason for asking you to reproduce Mr Coates’ letter, for which 1 owe an apology to the Premier, was a short cut to prove that the English bankers' had proved through his letter to me that I had solved the greatest financial problem the -world has ever known, and, I think anyone would, under the circumstances, b? a trifle abnormal in their actions. Some two years ago I read in the Wanganui “Chronicle” a speech made by Sir John Ferguson, wherein he stated, inter alia, that the parrot cry of everyone desiring to help the British nation out of the financial bog was: “Oh, for a Mussolini to guide us!” or words to that effect. As he was chairman of the Bankers’ Institute, I wrote to him, giving him my ideas and pointing out that, with all due respect to Mussolini, the British Empire had tools to work with that Mussolini did not possess, and asked him for an interchange of id/as, and (whether by design or accident on the part of financial magnates in London) I received it through Air Coates* letter. “Salt Petre” evidently has taken umbrage at ta- treatment he has received at Air Coates’ hands, but I think he will admit the writer can dwarf his supposed grievance when I enumerate-, with your permission, the doors I have been knocking at since I arrived in the Dominion in 1913, ostensibly to run away from myself and the surgeon’s mortgage on my appendix (which, I am pleased to relate. I still retain—minus the mortgage), and also drawn by the magnet of Mr G._ F. Moore’s sale of beautiful Herefords. Shortly after the Big Fight commenced, my love for dumb animals brought me in touch with a 41 Chronicle” man who was secretary for the S.P.C.A., and who made an appointment for me with the editor. That gentleman pronounced it as a most noble scheme and made an appointment for me with Sir Joseph Ward, but unfortunately Sir Joseph slipped away with Air Massey. When Sir Joseph returned, I wrote to him several times, but I could not interest him. An interview was then arranged with Mr Veitch, who also pronounced it a most laudable scheme, although nt that time it was only in its embyro stage, and later on 1 wrote him and he replied that he had not the rbility to steer anything of the magnitude of the scheme indicated. Th»> next personal interview I had on the subject was Air Holland. Leader of the Opposition, and, later, when I wrote him stating that if he would help hr? could become Premier of Now Zealand, his reply was that the subject did not come withir tho sphere of his platform. Another to become a victim of my blandishments was M»- Corrigan, to whom I stated, when I first met him that 1 would vote for him if he was the devil himself, so long ns he sailed under the Lih'-ral flag: and. in return, he promised the usual Parliamentarv pio crust, but forgrot to write after I varnted his constituency. I had forgo Hen Mr Wilford. who was go enthusiastic when hfc> received my

letter that he actually wired me: 44 Un able reply your interesting lettur; leaving Auckland.” 1 then wrote to him, stating if he did not behave himself I would approach the late Mr Massey; but he- did not come off his perch. J. also received very nice letters (possibly couched in much the same terms as “Salt Petre” growls about) since I ha vie- been in the Dominion, as far as my memory serves me: His Majesty the King, 11.R.H. Prince of Wales, Lord Jellicoe (when Governor of New Zealand), and Sir Edward Wallington (who had my schipne placed before him by request, to Bank of Australasia, London, and who was most anxious at the time to induce H.R.H. the Prince of Wales (new King George) to take an interest in it. Sir Edward (at that time Captain) Wallington, was Private Secretary to H.R.H. and wrote thanking me for copy. Unfortunately for alt concerned ( a letter I wrote to Lord Kitchener was never received by that greatest of men. JOSEPH CARWARDINE. Westmere, July L