MR MORRISON IN REPLY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 236, 12 August 1879, Page 2

MR MORRISON IN REPLY.

- a (To the Editor of the Wahajiapa Daily). Sib—ln your issue of the 7th inst., a letter appeared from Mr Donald Donald, who seems to be raiding his pen in utter darkness. I should ask a small space in your valuable paper to enlighten him a little on what he writes. He says lie is at a loss to understand how the judges could have made such an unfortunate mistake. Any "judge" of ploughing having seen the ridges in question could have been at no loss to have seen which was the better of the two. A few days after tlio ploughing match, I

i?f S ? mid Mr Burnett camo t0 me » and Mr Heggio put the question: "In Much part of the block ploughed by the double-furrows were the respective ridges placed. lat once told him that the lstpnzo ridge was on the South-east side of lie Jnd-prize ridge ; the first-prize ridge being the furthest of the two from Mastcrton, and numbered 1 on the Held peg, ho second prize, as Mr Donald already knows, was awarded to No 3. T was not made aware of the names of the parties who were prize takers until they were read out at tlio dinner, and when the question was asked why Mr He«gie was second, taking for granted that the numbers were affixed to the proper names, I described the defects in No 3 ridge, which of course, I was led to understand, must have been Mr Heggie's. It is quite evident Mr Donald could not have consulted the members of the Committee who accompanied the judges before replying to the letter of Mr Burnett and myself, and I think if lie will do so before making any further publications in the matter, he will be better able to show "the undoubted facts of the case." I may mention that the assistance of Mr Donald's judgment was never called upon either by Mr Burnett or myself, as we were quite unanimous in our decisions.

lam, Ac. Walter Monisou,

THE MAHAKAKA BLOCK,

[To the Editor of the Waiiurafa Dahy.) | Sib,--I was present at the meeting last Saturday and hoard Mr Pharazyn's statement that a considerable portion of the the Mahakuka Block had been given as an endowment to the City of Wellington. If such is the case, who is responsible for the act] When Sir George Grey was last in the Wairarapa he said that the block was to be sold under the deferred payment system. If there are any means of compelling Wellington to disgorge it they should be resorted to, as it would ruin the block for settlement and belie the promise of Sir George Grey. What wo have to complain of here is not so much the illiberal land laws, as the manner in which the wants of this district in the matter of land for settlement are ignored. For while one may constantly hear of blocks of land being set aside in various parts of the Colony for that purpose, the whole time I have been here-about five years—not an acre, except that for the Scandinavians, has been used for that purpose in this district. On Saturday night, one of the speakers said that the people here were very easily satisfied, and I think they are very easily sat upon also. Hoping you will keep the land question alive,—lam, &0., G. H.