THE RICCARTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14839, 3 December 1913, Page 10

THE RICCARTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

TO THE EDITOR OP "THE PRESS." Sir, —Kindly allow mc space in which to reply to your correspondent who signs himself "Ratepayer." The above Council passed a resolution deploring the attitude of tho Government in allowing the present industrial crisis to go on without moving in the direction ot obtaining a just and equitable settlement; also urging immediate legislation to end the dispute. Now, "Ratepayer" says he is sure that the majority of ratepayers of the borough would not support the above motion. He is also sure that the ratepayers will congratulate the Mayor and Crs. Helliwell, Ford, and George, who supported the action (or, to be correct, inaction) of Mr Massey and his colleagues by voting against the motion. I can quite believe that had tho motion been to donate £15 of the ratepayers' money for the purpose of entertaining the officers of a Dreadnought, as was done by the first Council, "Ratepayer" would havo forgotten all about waste of valuable time and twaddle in his haste to rush his approval into print. So Crs. White, Dempster, Stokes, and Foster are employees, of the Government. Well, well, I would suggest that "Ratepayer," who is so sure of everythingj makes 6ure of his facts. Neither I nor Cγ. Dempster nre in tho Government's employ. That Crs. Stokes and Foster received special permission to stand for election I have no doubt, but that they had to get special permission to speak their mind when they wore elected is news to mc. In conclusion, I would like to say that if we who voted for the resolution arc spared, and seek re-election when the time comes, we will do so conscious that we stuck to our work, even when we did not get all our own way.—Yours, etc., G. D/WTTI.TE. Riocarton, December 2nd, 1913: