CORRESPONDENCE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 419, 2 December 1911, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE.

[Letters for publication. and articles lor insertion must be accompanied (n"t necessarily tor pubiication i. by Ihe name •••! i i'k. writer, ami. pr.u jtleii are not o;le!i:-i-y m aii\" way, be hH identity hiinseit" w i ii ; lie «nnr.i"n- expie-scd >v C'>ncsp iiulen'.s, and ae.vpts n<) responsibiu;> mi- them.J To the Edior. Sir, I have been informed that when addressing the electors in Awakino recently Mr Jennings complained of the great trouble and expense ne was put to through receiving misleading telegrams and loiters from his constituents and he instanced the ease of a settlor on the Wanganui road who wired to him pUr Jennings) saying "that, certain work on this road had been stopped and asking his assistance to got the contract completed.'' lie had made enquiries from the officials of the K'oads IVpari,ment and found that the statement in the telegram was not in accordance with fact, as the work had not, been stopped. As the impression left on the minds of Mr Jennings hearers is that I am the person guilty of sending an untruthful statement to our member regarding the work on the Wanganui road, and thereby causing him much unnecessary trouble and expense. I crave space in your valuable paper to state the facts of the case. In or about April last one of the contracttors on this road told me he had just received instructions not to proceed further with his contract;, but simply to clean up his work as far as he. had gone, to keep him employed ti!i the engineer could come to measure tip his work and pay him off, the reason assigned for these instructions being that the money voted for the work had all been expended. The road was then in a dangerous state, being blocked with an unfinished cutting about six feet deep. I replied to the effect that I would see the overseer, and if he verified the contractor's statement I would wire to Mr Jennings about it. Subsequently I saw the overseer who substantiated the previous story even to the reason for stopping the work. Immediately wired to Mr Jennings stating that in- j structions to stop the work had been j issued, and asked his assistance to get money to complete the contract. Now ; Mr Editor, facts are stubborn tilings, ; so is a six-foot block cutting lying di- j rectly across one's path without decent and safe means of getting round it, j and the stubborn fact that; that block cutting remains to-day as it was when I wired to Mr Jennings seven mouths ago, proves conclusively that, my telegram was neither untruthful nor mis- [ lending. I court the fullest enquiry | into this matter. Of course Mr Jen- ' nings may not have referred to me. ! and if such is the. case his simple ex- | planation to that effect will suffice, j If. on the other hand, he did refer to j me, then I have the right, which i | herewith exercise, of calling on him to prove his allegation or tender me a sufficient apology. I am, etc., C. LEKCII. Awakino, November 21 th, 11)11. To the Editor.

Sir, —l\lr Wilson \va? hnnlh fair (o the Government in making disparaging comments upon them. i>;- [U'c ia I Sy in selecting the Wellington-Hull railway as a wicked waste of public money. He is, perhaps, not aware that besides the enormous value of the reclaimed land, together with wharfage accommodation for goods landed practically at the doors of a large population, it will go far to relieve the already congested part of the city of Wellington, with its over increasing inhabitants. I, in company with several other gentlemen, a Jew months ago, in looking over this great work, gave the Government great praise for their wonderful foresight in thus making provision for a future and much larger population. Mr Wilson finds fault with the numerous Royal Commissions set up to make enquiries into the various matters raked up from the dead past by the very party to which hj" is attached. Then, in the matter of technical schools, I very much doubt if this enters into the category of democratic Government since it is only the rich, or comparatively rich, that can afford to lose the services of their sons while they are learning a trade which many of the boys attending the same, may have no taste for in afterlife. I am glad to be in accord with Mr Wilson on this point, but when he complains of the want of schools' in the back blocks I must say it is going a little too far to blame the Government for this lack of schools. Surely the Education!.! oard must know a good and sufficient, reason why this state of things is thus. The board, at least;, is the proper tribunal at which to apnly for redress, and not the Government, and I think if Mr Wilson would follow a system of fair dealing, as regards his references to the Government in a straight-for-ward style, he would gain the rej spect of, if not the votes, of the well-thinking portion of the Taumarunui electorate. —-I am, etc., SCRUTATOR. THE FARMERS' TROUBLES. To the Editor. Sir, Referring to the present elections there are two points which if is specially necessary for farmers to consider. Frst as to the land tenure, to put it briet'y. what tenure they desire for themselves and which party are most likely to give t lie in the tenure they want. Now, it strikes mo that many electors do not consider so much, the political views of the party they vote for as private friendships ant! old associations. Now, that is a foolish and illogical view to take when it is certain that a vote is given to everyone Sv> that bs may support measures that are for his well-being, and the advancement of the country and not for the providing of a billet for anyone, and more especially for one who supports the party whose methods, are opposed to the farmers' interests. The second point 1 would draw the farmers' attention to is that of Dominion prohibition. I am no advocate of the

liquor trni'ljo, but 'farmers should note I that if Dominion prohibition is carried j there, must be nearly a million of ! revenue Inst whir!) sum will require to |be raised by taxation. Now, the I simile t.MNer.w am! ;.> 'argo section <»f j townspeople :tro;;giy advocate that | this (le lie it. he made up by further taxing the iall (; and eheiifui'y transfer 'ail Ihjrdens upon t lie farmer and ! struggling Inck Mocks settler. Therefore, I warn farmers that if tin y vote for J inminion Prohibition they are. voting for a big increase i in their already high land taxation. ' - -I am, etc.. PIONEER SETTLER.