An American Authority on the Local Paper.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 346, 24 January 1908, Page 2

An American Authority on the Local Paper.

1 It te the duty of the people of every district to sapport a local paper, where there te one, •tfrites a leading American enrhoage* It w< rks every iwue In their interest, take up their grievance!, urge# bhrir requi rep eats gives prominence to their iudnatries and ia•UtuMooß, and makes their locality known to outriders. Tbe poorest and most wretch ed newspaper ever published, is worth ton HmM »’• price to every man,in the district 1 lin which it is published. Ex-Governer ! Feancie, of Mieeonri, apexks M follows of the focal fcoport:—“Each year tfee local paper gives from J&WOto £lOOO in free advertising space to tbe aommnaity Jn it it tocatj ed. No other agency will ar can do tins Thu alitor ia proportion to his mean*, does more for the tow a than any other ten more. • He ought to be supported, not because they JHke him personally, or admire h’s writing, but because th® local paper is the heat investment local people can make. It njay not, twrhaps, be brilliautly edited ©r over I crowded with shoughta, but finsnc-nUy it i te of more benefit to the community than tho teacher or tbe preacher. Understand mi> I de not mean morally or IntellactttaUy k bat fluanoially.’’ The nmwho«cm»fiMm- > self from subscribing to a focal paper on I tbe ground that "times aro toe had” must 1 indeed be in a deaperate wfp—so bad ths J the saving of "threepence par week will rt»y Uta troffi going on a tan."

King Country Roads. At a recant meaiing of the Awaroa Branch pt the Farmers’ Union it was decided to write to tbe Weekly News and ask why Mr Gragg’s letter had kit been published. The following reply has juet been received : “ la reply to yosrccminunicmtiou of December 12th we beg to say that the reason wo did not publish Mr Gregg’s letter referring to road matters in your district was that such a letter never reached this office. Enquiries were n ideal the time tba letter appeared in the Wellington Fu.i, uni it was then deemed that for some reason or other Mr Gregg had preferred to publish in Wellington. Your Union will understand, of course, that ws cannot undertake to copy biters from ahmher paper, but we are always prepared to publish loiters representing the wants of your district when sent to us. We would also like to draw your attention to the fact that th. Weekly News has persistently urged the necessity of good roads in tbe King Country, and has published numerous leaders and other articles on this subject.” MR. BOBINSON’B BEPOBi'. KAWHIA COUNTY COUNCIL IN REPLY. As would be noticed in our last issue the reading of Mr Robinson’s report caused discussion, the following reply 'hereto being dratted by Or Jonathan : We have to ths.uk you tor copy of Mr Robineou’s report which was based on enquiries made by him while on a visit to this district some weeks ago. There is so much in the report that we (eel we must take strong exception to, that we find ourselves in the position of being very much on the defensive Wo do not intend to deal with that portion of tbe report relative to what pass ed between the Kiritehere settlers and Mr Robinson as we cannnot either endorse it or otherwise comment on what is alleged to have been said or understood. The object of tbe Council in , the I’teJa.’BSi'ligJik Roads Department, as set forth in tbe motion passed at a meeting of the Council held on the 261 h. of October last and which rewds as follows: “That this Council hereby endorse the remarks relative to an enquiry contained in Mr Gregg’s letter, which was published in the Wellington Post and Kawhia Sr.iri.xa, in reference to tbe administri.lior of tbe Roads Department generally. ThieOoutioil does mot wish to make any specific charges, as it is accepted that an exhaustive enquiry into the matter as a whole is urgently necessary. This Cousoiisubmib, that the adminietratin as at present carried out, in no way gives settlers any confidence in the Dapaiiuum'.'s procedure, and the only possible suggestion, with the object of a more satisfactory state of affairs ultimately eventuating, is an immediate enquiry, which wa fed sure will be productive of results that will be beneficial to the the settle s who'endeavour to keep faith with their landlord, the Government, and it is felt that tbe Government are not keeping faith with tbe settlers.” Mr Robinson has drawn very much on his imagination relativs to the word ing of thismotion, ana we cannot allow his statement contained in the report i.e. “As KawhiaCounty Council passed a resolution endorsing the terms of Mr Gregg's letters, etc.,' etc., 1 ' to go unchallenged. Mr B ibinson goes on so say that be interviewed Cr W. J. Shaw (Chairman, Kawhia County Council) andCr Jonathan, who denied any intention on the ptrt of the Council to be a parly to noytbiug that savoured of a personal attack on Mr Burd or any other official, aid farther, that what the Council wished, was a statement of accounts re loading, thirds and parliamentary rotas, ate., which would give tbe seitterti, through the medium of the Council, some idea as to how the money had been applied, and those gentlemen went on to say, that an enquiry was stricilly necessary, so that tho administration of the Bond Department whicbcould not give anything but dissatisfaction under the present conditions, should bo put on a moremiiefM tory basis. Mr Robinson's paragraph in reference to this phase of tbe question we oau only accept as a libs! on the integrity and intelligence of the members of the Council referred to, inasmuch as the report ooaiaina in the same paragraph a statement to the effect that the Council passed the motion in terms in which they did not and also quotes the two councillors as denying an suggestion of an endorsement of Mr Gregg’s letters to Wellington Post. Mr Robinson then refers to Whet he learned inciden tally of the revenue and expenditure ot tbe County Council. We think it deplorable that a Government official should incest in an official report, anything that could possibly convey an impreesifon that was not strictly in accordance with the true aspect of affairs. Wo consider, that if Mr Robin . son found it essential to ootnmsnt on the status of tho Kawhia County C >un au, it was only equitable that be should have called at the Council Office and obtained foots and figures wherewith to base his reaatks oa, or otherwise have : left the matter alone altogether. The , report goes on to refer to an alleged • statement mails by Mr Langley, ship. i ping apant, ai d as tbe words alleged to ' have been usel by that gentlontao jarr- , ed on the nerves of the Councillors, Mr , Langley by invitation attended tho ■ moating ot the Council. Suffice ia to say ■ tliat Ml L ingloy openly stated that the ; meaning conuyod, was altogether al variance with tb»t intended. Rogatd- ; lag the suggestion that the loading ba ' raised urqrn 5 s to 80s par tare, we would ! u-gj that although this would probably . increase tbe assets of the Dominion, it i would not be of the praotioal benefit 1 to the settlers khat tbe suggestion would , infer on papers. We think Mt Rubin- • sou’s tefeceMo tn raising a loan to be

administered by a local body. woald a be far more beneficial. In oonolasion, will reiterate our denial of any inten- ' lion on ths pari; of the Council to cast ' any slur on Mr Burd, or his subordin ate, Mr Barron. We are fully aware th U if they have not the cash to spend they cannot do the worK, as promised the settlers by tbe Government. What we would wish is that the adtnioietration be tested by tbe fire of an enquiry and if at the enquiry the adminislra lion is found faulty, there would bs some possible prospect of an improved condition of affairs in tbe future. We can not possibly be made tt» believe tbattb* Kawhia County has been properly treated by tbe Government. Abb ng > tbe proposed sxpendUure Mr Robinson r commended is not in tbe main t<» b spent in the County, we are gratified to know that soma of our neighbours wilt probably benefit by Me Ribin-ton’-yisit, Regretting the necessity to take such exception to Mr Robinson’s re port. - ■