REPLY TO CRITICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 139, 22 June 1901, Page 3

REPLY TO CRITICS.

(To the Editor of the Tmes.)

Sir, —In regard to the meeting the other night, I must say I was very disappointed at the attitude adopted by Mr Sievwright. That gentleman is a member of the Whataupoko Eoad Board, and as such it was his duty to have looked into the matter prior to coming before the ratepayers. At the Board meeting he seconded the resolution for a conference, but when that conference took place Mr Sievwright was an absentee. That may have been susceptible to explanation by reason of indisposition or pressure of business, but in the interim, knowing that the public meeting was to have been held, Mr Sievwright should certainly have' made himself conversant with the subject at issue. ['lnstead of doing that, he straightway ranks himself as an opponent of Mr Lysnar, and while not giving out any point he thought weak in the figures, he practically pleaded for further procrastination, it that meeting there were ratepayers who j had walked miles to be present and hear both sides of the question. They got this side championed by Mr Lysnar in a fair, temperate, and dispassionate manner, and that gentleman further offered to answer any questions bearing on the subject. Mr Lysnar dealt very fairly by Mr Sievwright, pointing out in a reasonable way the misleading figures given by Mr Siovwright in a letter to the Times. Mr Sievwright, though at times waxing warm, coolly evaded the reasonable challenge. He said that several gentlemen had told him that Mr Lysnar’s figures were wrong. Is this, then, the way our public affairs are to be I managed, when a man of Mr Sievwright’s mental calibre goes to a public meeting and quotes what has been said by the man on the street ? Where were those gentleman ? Why did thoy not como forward and have the manliness to say wherein the figures wore wrong ? Why did not Mr Sievwright himself, whose high ability no one questions, show in what way tho figures were wrong ? Why did he not give the names of the gentlemen ? Are they residents of the borough, of Whataupoko, or of Haiti ? For the present they may be dismissed from the mind unless they are proparod to come forth and say what they mean

Now, as to the question of harbor rates. On tho day of the meeting, I went to Mr DeLautour and consulted him on the point, and he confidently assured me that in the event of the borough being extended tho harbor rating radius would be the same as previously, that being clearly laid down in the Act. Mr Sievwright, with tho weight of his professional acumen, threw doubt on the subject. Now, I challenge him to boldly make a stand on tho point one side or the other. I go further and claim that it is now his duty to do this as a membor of the Road Board. Now a word or two to Mr Witty and those who think with him. I found that on tho Kaiti new buildings were being erected and not being assessed' until twelve months afterwards, and as a momtor of the Board I considered it my duty to point out how unfair this was to those

who had long been paying rates. lam under tho impression that if tho matter wore looked into it would be found that the same sort of thing is going on in tho borough in regard to harbor rates, and as a harbor ratepayer myself I now call on the Board to look into this matter in the same way as the Kaiti Board did. Let mo, sir, give you a few instances. Take Victoria township: the Government assessment is £5 per quarter acre. What is the fact ? Theso very sections, assessed at £5, a.TO now changing hands from £4O to £6O. Recently a wellknown town property—not a public houso —assessed at ,£3OOO, changod hands, I am informed, at £5600. Let me come more to the direct issue and deal with Mr Stafford. He complained bitterly of tho valuations. I now ask him publicly will ho accept for his property in the borough a fifty per cent, increase on tho Government assessment ? An answer through tho Times will obligo, and if tho answer is in the affirmative I will pay for it at full scale advertising rates, provided I got tho first offer.—l am, etc., Frank Harris.