A DELIBERATE INSULT TO THE PEOPLE OF KUMARA.

Kumara Times, Issue 2841, 10 November 1885, Page 2

A DELIBERATE INSULT TO THE PEOPLE OF KUMARA.

[to the editor.] Sir—ln your issue of Saturday I noticed a telegram received by Mr Michel, Chairman of the Westland Charitable Aid Board, as follows : The Premier directs me to say that Government will remit subsidies due to the Kumara Hospital if the District Board will become responsible for the expenditure of the money for strictly hospital purposes only. Now, sir, what does this extraordinary communication (as you very appropriately call it) mean to insinuate ? Is it not time that this community should take some steps to resent unwarrantable interference, and insulting behaviour of this despotic being—who, by some misadventure, is placed at the head of the present Government—towards this community 1 I say community, for I consider it not only a slander on the Committee but a deliberate insult to the whole district; for no other meaning can be taken out of the above communication than that the Committee (who are the representatives of the people) cannot be trusted. Is there any reasonable ground for this deliberate iusuk 1 Certainly a few unscrupulous persons have tried to make the Committee appear as black as Black cm be in the eyes of the Government; hut against that, the Commissioners who investigated hospital matters, in their report totally exonerated the Committee from all blame. Besides that I have it from undoubted authority that the two quarterly statements on which the subsidies are due, and in which the revenue and expenditure, is distinctly shown, were verified by the auditors, and attached to them was also declaration on oath made by the Treasurer, before a J ustico of the Peace, as to the correctness of the statements Why, then, in the face of all tb.'a should this community he so wanton insulted—a community that has done more for their sick and needy than any other pa it. of the colony. Is it that for some s' lfish purpose he wishes to pander for some person or two at the expense of a whole <Jf *r|e f ? Is this the Simon pine who prated so much, about true democracy when stamping

the country I— this a sample of a Government of the people, and for the people this the way to treat a people who went almost frantic over his reception only a few months ago, and lavished honours upon him that would have been sufficient at a reception of our noble Queen ? God bless her ! and forgive me for mentioning her good name in connection with this abortion of a Cabinet minister, who evidently measures us by his own bushel ; and Parliament must have known what it was about when it refused to entrust any measure of any note to a Government that had a demagogue like him at its head j and perhaps it would be as well if we were to treat him with that contempt which he deserves, for an individual that was able to eat such humble pie like he did last session would hardly be affected by any demonstration that we could bring against him. I hope, Mr Editor, you will not think this effusion too long or strong, for nothing can be too strong against this man who so wantonly tries to brand this community with infamy among our neighbours. —I am, sir, yours, &.c., One Opposed to Tyranny, Kumara, November 9, 1885.

[to the editor.] Sir —I crave a small space in your insult valuable paper to resent the implied to this community, and the Hospital Committee in particular, contained in Premier’s telegram as published in your Saturday’s issue. Now, what I should like to find out is, on what authority does he take it upon himself to infer, as he does,' that the money due to the Hospital Committee for the last seven months will not be spent in a legitimate way ? I can come to no other conclusion than this, that some of the residents of the place are responsible for it, as, had he taken the trouble to read the report of the Commissioners .who held the inquiry concerning the late dispute in the Hospital affairs, he must have seen that the committee were justified in the action- they took in the matter, as no unprejudiced man could come to any other conclusion. Therefore, the fact is carried home to my mind that the Premier has been made a tool of, and a willing one I believe, by some of the clique who to further their own selfish spiteful ends will stick at nothing to damage men’s characters and our local Hospital. Another thing, if the Premier has the brains he is credited with, and thought for one moment, he would know (hat a committee elected by the subscribers of the only Hospital in t-he colony which has been self-supporting—that is on the £ for £ principle—are men who could be trusted to pay the liabilities they have entered into, without asking the security of the Board at all. Besides he has the quarterly reports and balancesheet which have been audited by two gentlemen, one of whom refused to audit some accounts belonging to another public institution not long since, because they were not understandable, which in my opinion is a sufficient guarantee that the figures in the Hospital balance-sheet were not cooked. Then again, is it possible these bnsybodies may have informed the powers referred to that a judgment had been recorded against the committee for a large sum and that they intended to pay it out of the Hospital funds (which by the way they would he justified in doing) and of course forgot to state that a sum of money had been collected sufficient to cover all, if it should be needed, which at present, looks very doubtful ? Now, sir, the only redeeming feature I see in it is this: it must strike the Government that we are not easily lepulsed, or we would have thrown up the sponge before this; fori do not think another committee in the country would have carried on as long as we have under similar circumstances. And, in conclusion, sir, I consider it bad enough to fight our battles at home, and lose our time and money, without being subjected to the insults-of the Premier. William Morris. Di liman’s, November 9, 1885.