Correspondence.

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 31, 28 February 1913, Page 2

Correspondence.

While it is our endeavour to give * * correspondents every facility for r the free expression of their 1 opinion, it should be borne in ■ mind that the views expressed do - not, necessarily, reflect the f opinions of the Editor.] 1 SIR —So my old friend . “Alwuzaska” is in Huntly! Had I known it in time 1 should q have hesitated to provoke the r thunders of his satire. But he 1 has changed his name somewhat. The last time I met him he e was “ Ahvays-last-a ” —Choctaw p for “ dead-tired, ” or “ none starter". Between you and me, | y Alwuz, old friend, I don’t undere stand the meaning of those words | . you complain of any more than ’ you do ! But as they sounded good e l dug them out of the tail end of a dictionary in order to gull J f the people into the belief that 1 t j was, as you suggest, a man of substance. I did not for a moment anticipate the pleasure of taking you in. No, Alwuz, I am not a member of the Chamber of Commerce, j but now that I find you are on | the Town Board. I feel like e • running the risk of being s ; "blackballed”. Nor did I stand >t | for election to the Town Board, for the simple reason, strange as it may seem, that I recognise | mv limitations, and preferred to a j give place to successful men I who have proved their ability in the conduct of their own busi--1 ness, and from whom we naturc ally expected the same energy, 1 ’ initiative, and acumen in their ,s conduct of the business of the town. J' Things have evidently gone s well with you, Alwuz. I wish 1 "fivers” were as plentiful with p me. But it is so like you, that if. "If Nebraska will give a ‘fiver’/shall give one!” Why r spend it all on a Reserve, t Alwuz? Nebraska is no more ■ , interested in a Reserve than he j is in the other improvements i . lie suggests. And why " kick ”, Alwuz? You can’t ’kick’ blood * from a stone any more than you can ‘ kick ’ initiative into a Town Board. But I’ll compromise, and, when you subscribe the " fiver”, I’ll put in £5 worth of labour in fencing and plan- ‘ ting your reserve as an equiva--1 lent. A little time ago at Papatoetoe a Church was erected by the Congregation * in a single day, and was ready for service on the Sunday followt ing. If a site could he secured f for a reserve it may be possible 1 for you as a member of the , s Town Board to inaugurate a > working-bee, which, with a little 1 enthusiasm, would soon complete t the job. The co-operation of the members of the Miners’ ; , Union would not be sought in ! j vain, I feel assured. For. , believe me, Alwuz. things are ] moving nowadays. The working r man is no longer an illiterate

iiiciu hu luiigci ciu umr-i air automaton, but has developed reasoning powers to a degree which, in the old days, would have startled our parents, had they believed such a thing possible. He can see that there is a great distinction between ‘Real’ and ‘Nominal’ wages, and that, though the pay he receives may be fairly good when judged solely by a monetary standard, his real wages, measured by the comforts of living and the number of luxuries and pleasures he may participate in through living in any particular town, may he nil. Would you consent to spend the whole of your life in the middle of Sahara desert, without even an oasis near, even for the j manificent wage of £IOO a week ? Again, as to the site. I believe, Alwuz, that the Taupiri Coal Co. would he able to furnish a piece of land adjoining the river bank which may be converted into an excellent little park with a pleasant promenade, if they could only be satisfied that you and your fellow members on the Town Board would take enough interest in it even to erect a lamppost at the entrance. So you may be able to save your "fiver” after all, if you’ll only hustle a little. It isn’t the “ fiver ” we want, old friend ; it’s energy and a recognition of the responsibilities of your position. You say it is easier for carping criticism to destroy a policy than to construct one. Granted ! But it isn’t your policy we complain of, and for a very good reason. You remember how in our old school days we revelled in the verse biography of a gentleman by the name of “ Guy Fawkes, the prince of sinisters, Who once blew up the House of Lords, The King and all his Ministers ” and who “Crossing over Vauxhall Bridge, That is, he ivould have come that way To perpetrate his guilt, sirs, But a Httlo thing prevented him, The bridge it wasn’t built, sirs ", And it is the same with your policy. It isn’t built. Or, if it is, you wont tell us what it is, except that it is a policy of “ laisser-fatre". I beg your pardon, old friend—a policy 44 of let it alone ”. You complain of lack of funds. How did Cambridge, a smaller town, 1 believe, acquire funds for its beau trial reserve, its splendid streets, etcV. How did Hamilton get its Town Hall, its water service and other luxuries ? How will Ngaruawahia get funds for its electric light ? And whisper it quietly how did it *-qverreach you over the matter cd* office of the j

Registrar of Electors ? How 1 did Te Awamutu secure the I Main Trunk Express stopping I there ? How did Stratford secure i funds for its Electric Cars ? And so on; but these will do to go on j with. Ask them, as a Town , Board Member, and then try the j same wav here. Only do some- j thing, and belie your name, | “ Alwayslasta ”, even if you only i succeed in making Huntly a j part of " Greater Ngaruawahia ” ! so that we may participate in j its electric light. NEBRASKA. P.S. I’m not sure that I under- > stand what a “ carpet-bagger ” 1 means. It is not given in my edition of Webster an old one ! I admit. But I have done one. | thing for which Huntly will for- ! give me. I voted tv# trie present members at the last Town Board i Election. N.