THE ARAMOHO TROUBLE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 788, 11 April 1910, Page 4

THE ARAMOHO TROUBLE.

Sir, —Mr. Mackay, the Mayor of Wanganui, gives a key to his actions in tho opening sentence of his letter to you, when ho says that tho matters in question (i.e., Aramoho's alrairs)'aro of interest only to "Wangamii and Aramoho." You will notico that Wanganui is to be considered first, Aramoho afterwards. It is 'easy, and unfortunately natural, enough for Mr. Mackay to talk of a "farrago of misrepresentations and absolute misstatoments" in Mr. Gilbert's letter. But why docs ho not point them out? Because, sir, ho can't do it. Nobody denies that tho ■\Vaugaßui Borough has property at

Aramolio. It is not the largest landowner, however, by a very long way; nor is it a ratepayer. The ratepayer for the property Jias recorded his wish. But this is not enough for Mr. Mackay. Whilst scores of other land-owners are deprived of a say in the affair because their names are not yet on. the roll, Mr. Mackay expects that ho and each separate member of his council shall vote' upon tho question. "With such voting (voting confined practically to non-ratepayers and outsiders) a'resolution for amalgamation was carried. Mr. Gilbert has said so. But Mr.'Mackay avoids telling you that, after he had tried for years to induce Aramoho to amalgamate with Wanganui, a meeting of ratepayers decided unanimously not te do so. Mr. Gilbert's statements regarding "peculiarly interested parties" and the genuineness of signatures were not merely "insinuations," but well-established facts, that neither Mr. Msckay nor anybody else can truthfully deny. As for Mr. Mackay's' summary of the position, I need only say that if his hopes of obtaining a seat in tho House and of-forcing Aramoho to help build a bridge across the Wauganui River to suit his own wishes are based upon no surer foundation than the items of his summary, then Aramoho and the country, at large havo little to fear on these scores. —I am, etc., , CAVE CANEM. ■