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Society, I consider my money and time to have been uselessly thrown away. Such a result has chiefly been brought about by the misrepresentations and jealous ill-will of the Secretary, Mr. Farr. I would therefore ask you to take into consideration whether the interest of fish-culture would be best promoted by granting such a society as the above an exclusive monopoly of fish-culture, or whether public interest would not be best furthered by granting equal privileges to a private individual carrying on the business at his private expense, and whose interest lies in the preservation of the fish throughout the Canterbury district in particular, and their successful distribution to the whole of the rivers in the colony. I have, &c, A. M. Johnson.

Suggested Cobrections and Additions, as conveying a more accurate impression. My leaving the Society was brought about by the persistent jealous ill-will of the Secretary, Mr. Farr> who on many occasions since has exhibited the same affectionate disposition, notably that of violeutly depriving me of a box of English salmon ova presented to me by the late Otago Government. My chief business is done with the North Island on account of the success so invariably achieved in the transport of the live fish, whilst so many losses have been sustained by the Society in their efforts to transport the fish to distant localities. It is felt to be a hardship that, in carrying on the business of fish-propagation, I should bo stigmatized by the Secretary of the Society in the local papers as a " poacher ;" and that the Government should be led by the Society into giving colour to such a slander by refusing me permission to obtain ova. The subscriptions to the Society have for many years dwindled down to a very small amount, the feeling being general that its especial work is now accomplished. Its revenue is derived from the various license-fees and fines, so that it is no longer a private society, and therefore it is unjust and injurious to the public interest that such a Society should be made the medium of competing with and injuring private enterprise. A. M. Johnson.

Mr. G-. S. Coopbb to Mr. A. M. Johnson. Sic, — Colonial Secretary's Office, "Wellington, Ist March, 1880. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 21st February, and, in reply, am directed by the Colonial Secretary to inform you that, in face of the objection of the Canterbury Acclimatization Society, the Government do not feel justified in giving you permission to capture salmon and trout in the Canterbury rivers for the purpose of artificial propagation. I have, &c, A. M. Johnson, Esq., Opawa, Christchurch. G. S. Coopeb.

No. 101. Mr. S. C. Fake, Honorary Secretary, Canterbury Acclimatization Society, to Mr. Commissioner A. J. Burns, Christchurch. Sib,— Christchurch, 22nd April, 1880. In reply to your question of yesterday, in reference to Mr. A. M. Johnson's accusation against the Canterbury Acclimatization Society, I may say that the injustice he endeavours to make out is purely imaginary on his part. In saying this, it would be well for you to know that I have held the office of honorary secretary to the Society for the last twelve years, consequently I have been in contact with the Curators more than any other member of the Society, therefore am better able to give a true version of the state of affairs during that time. There are members of the present Council who were among the gentlemen who founded the Society, and, did time permit, I am confident that I could procure evidence from them to prove that the Society continued Mr. Johnson's services as Curator until it was impossible to bear with his constant vagaries, by which the Society's funds were actually being wasted ; so much so, that the public withdrew their subscriptions (amounting to between £300 and £400 annually until about the end of the tenth year of the Society's existence), from which time subscribers declined paying, complaining that their money was thrown away. And, further, when the Curator was instructed to " do this," or " not to do that " work he refused to obey, and attempted his own experiments, which invariably terminated in failure: in fact, the public moneys were being frittered away by an insubordinate officer; hence his dismissal. And now as to the imaginary injustice —and here I wish the Commissioners to understand that the Society carries on the whole of its work pro bono publico, while Mr. Johnson's matters amount only to private enterprise and pecuniary benefit to himself; apart from which, such liberty would establish a precedent for other applications, hence the objections of the Society to his entering public waters for procuring ova of any of the fish imported and liberated by the Society, either by its own funds or by grants from the Provincial or General Governments. On these grounds the objection is based, and from the known fact that, if ova is disturbed in the redd, the majority of them are carried away by the current into places where they cannot be hatched and must perish. In reference to his vaunted claim as being the importer of the first trout and perch into New Zealand, I append to these remarks a copy of a letter sent by me to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, and founded, as that is, upon facts from sources therein mentioned, it will, I trust, be sufficient evidence to prove to the Commissioners the value of Mr. Johnson's statements. I have, &c, S. C. Fake, Honorary Secretary and Treasurer,

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