A KUMARA "SCRUTINEER."

Kumara Times, Issue 1528, 20 August 1881, Page 2

A KUMARA "SCRUTINEER."

[to the editor.] Sir—la a flock of sheep there is usually a Mack one, and in many communities is to he found some ill-con-ditioned, miserable, crawling iodividual, with a heart as black as his hoots, who cringes and crawls to those in authority (particularly if any money is to be made out of it) ; who flutters and cajoles iu your presence, but vilifies you the moment your back is turned ; who is as full of dodges as an egg is full of meat; who, possessing a certain amount of natural shrewdness, exercises it to the detriment of every one elsej and who, if a thousand paths lay before him iu his journey through life, invariably chooses the most crooked one of all. I have waded through the long letter of the Kumara Lickspittle, who signs himself " Scrutineer," and have arrived at the conclusion that if all the lies were taken out of it, there would be nothing left. The Writer seems to have formed a most erroneous opinion of our present Warden, and to imagine that fulsome flattery will exercise a most tremendous influence over that gentlemen. He pays the Warden a very poor compliment in supposing so> and at the same time is most egregiously mistaken in his estimate of the character of the officer in question. " Scrutineer" may* be a good judge of Road Board kerosene, but iu other matters he is not " sound on the goose." He insinuates that our late Warden, Mr Price, was limited out of his office by mischiefmakers, when he knows well that he became involved in money matters, and had to make such arrangements with his creditors as forced him to resign his office. At all events, Mr Price did not have his certificate suspended for six months. A gun, it is broadly state I by " Scrutineer" that one of our local advocates addressed Mr Stratford at his first sitting here, and complained of the very irregular manner in which Mr Mackay had held his sittings. I was in the Court at the time, and when Mr Hannau attempted to put that interpretation upon it, he was promptly "shut up" aud "sat upon." So far as my memory serves me, the remarks made by " the local advocate" wore simply in the direction of. requesting that a distinct rule should be laid down as to the order in which cases would come on in the Court, while at the same time it was pointed out that the repeated change of Wardeus had not l.eju bene-

fieial to lhe district. As I have nofc seen a letter teferred to »>y "Scrutineer" signed " Resident," [ have ni>t the rdmutest idea as to the natiire of its contents, or I might liavesomerliiirj; to sayon that subject, flie motive of " Scnltineer" in addressing his niendacioits dommttMcaHon to you is plain .enough j and it is painful to contemplate the case of an individual wlin> through natural , perversity and crookedne&s, makes an exhibition of himself in print, when lie knows all the time that nothing but self-interest prompted him t> iudu ge in falsehood • and, in doing so, attempt to blackeu characters, and ingratiate himself with the Warden.—l am, sii'j yours obediently, TftUTrt V. FAJbsEltOdD. August 20, 1881.