SIR — I read with interest Marcus Kravis's claim of ten failures at election (Your Letters April 1). He doesn't say what he was applying for. Perhaps he wasn't the right peg for the right hole.
As for his jibe about "what is the view like from the cheap seats", yes we are very cheap, we get by with small donations, and fight for our causes like our symbol, the Jack Russell terrier.
We do not get generous mileage and subsistence allowances, unlike the county and district representatives on the park authority, who receive generous expenses, whether they attend meetings or not, from their home councils, together with very generous mileage and subsistence allowances if they do bother to attend.
The mileage, accommodation and subsistence allowances for the state appointees on the national park authority, from Swindon, Oxford, Abingdon, Stroud, Bristol, Tiverton and Shaldon, would make a working wage for many of us.
Unfortunately there are no direct elections for Exmoor National Park.
We are not prepared to be beholden to anyone but the local working inhabitants of the park. If there were direct elections, members of our committee and other locals would stand.
But despite trying to get this in the recent Government consultation, it is still forbidden.
Until that great day arrives, we would like to thank our local papers for putting our views forward and giving us an airing.
As for "viewing from the cheap seats", we supply our own time, travelling, stationery and postage, and on top of that we have to pay 10p per sheet for any documents requested from Exmoor National Park, plus cost of postage.
Also, if we wished to receive one copy of each of the agendas of the five authority meetings, 11 planning meetings and three resources meetings, we would have to pay £150 per annum. Unfortunately we are unable to fund this sum annually.
Molly Groves,
Exmoor Uprising.