THE NO. 5 WARD LOAN.

Feilding Star, Volume IX, Issue 96, 15 March 1888, Page 2

THE NO. 5 WARD LOAN.

TO THK EDITOR OF THE STAR.

(Sir, —As I am informed that interested parties are blaming me for not pointing out sooner the mess that was being made of the loan for No. 5 Ward, in self-defence allow me to state that I was not present at the special meeting on the 22nd December, when the loan was decided on (Parliament being then in session) or at the next ordinary meeting of the Board on the 7th January, having, as my letter of apology to the Board explained, been unexpectedly called away to Wellington. As the poll was taken on the 30th January, it was too late even if I had noticed the blunder to remedy matters at the next meeting in February. In fact, my attention was never drawn to the loan advertisements, and even if it had been, any interference or suggestion of mine would either have been resented or pooh-poohed, as, when I did point out the omission of a schedule of works at our last Board meeting, Warden Bull at once stated that it was not necessary. Looking at the determined hostility of some members of the Board to any and every proposal of mine, irrespective of its merits, and on account of the absurd jealousy that exists of my interference, I did not attend the meeting of ratepayers at Taonui, and was careful to do nothing but vote for the loan, leaving the whole management to those whose special duty it was, and who, if their opinion of themselves is to be taken as correct, were perfectly competent to do that duty without my supervision.

I am going to Wellington this week, and will see if it is still possible to arrange the loan on the Board giving a guarantee to spend the money according to the schedule sent in with the application, so that the ratepayers shall not, if I can help it, be the ultimate sufferers by the blunder made. This is properly the duty of those who made the mistake, but in this case I will do their work for them. — I am, &c,

D, H. Maoabthub,