The Grant to Sir William Fox

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 29, 19 August 1886, Page 2

The Grant to Sir William Fox

♦ The House of Representatives acted very properly and honourably in awarding Sir William Fox the remuaeration to whioh he is justly entitled for kis valuable public services as Native.Commissioner on the West Coast of this island. It womld have been monstrous (says the New Zealaad Times) for the Colony to accept his arduous labours for so long a period, and then refuse him the payment he has so well earned. The objections, which have been rvised to this grant will find no e oho in the heart of the country but will be universally attributed to their true source. The Wellington Pest strongly opposed the grant to Sir William Fox, and says ii Sir William Fox were badly off, th« colony might deal generously with him, but notoriously he is a rich man who has recently been making large investments. We confess we do not attach very much importance to this cry of the unemployed, but putting it altogether out of consideration, we say unhesitatingly that the condition and circumstances of the colony are net at the present time such as to afford the slightest j ustification for a gift of £2000 to Sir William Fox. The contrast between that sum and the paltry £150 set down in recognition of the heroic efforts of Joseph M'Rao at Wairoa en the (occasion of the Tarawera erraptioa, is striking and suggestive.