CORRESPONDENCE.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 27 March 1912, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

SWING BRIDGES AND

OTHER THINGS

TO THE EDITOR,

Sir, —I was delighted to read in your last issue Mr James McLeod's reply to my letter. As I have before stated, in my opinion, nothing is so deadly to the best interests of any place as apathy; and if we can only keep Mr McLeod going with letters like the one under notice, we shall probably get quite a lot of information on various things not otherwise understood. I might say just here, in reference to Mr McLeod's effusion, that I seem to have an idea that I ought to be feeling flattened out, but there must be something wrong somehow, because I don't feel like that a bit—rather the other way. It will be noticed to start with, that Mr McLeod chooses to ignore all the arguments in the first part of my previous letter, having reference to the silly and foolish talk about the proposed site for the new bridge affecting the business interests of the top end of the town, and I presume it is a fair thing to assume that he finds them unanswerable. Mr McLeod's want of apprehension as to the illustration given by me re Hotels and Bridges is not surprising when one remembers that he is a Scotchman to start with, and of course, also quite simple and uninformed of anything having any bearing on hotels. And yet I would have thought otherwise, and I strongly suspect Mr McLeod of being like Bret Hart's bland Chinee with his "No savvee." However we will let that pass, as the^ soldier said .to the bullet as he 'took two paces to the right.

Taking that part of Mr McLeod's letter which deals with what has been accomplished by him on behalf of Helensville, I must say, Mr Editor, that the only thing that I ever remember reading that is anything like it, is " Bill Adam's account of the Battle of Waterloo." Coming, however, to the part which affects me viz., the question as to " where Mr Rea comes in," in reference to various reforms which have more or less happened in the last few years, I would like to remind Mr McLeod that it was owing to the association formed through my efforts some four years back, that Mr McLeod was returned as a member of the Board, together with a majority of its members, which further enabled him to become Chairman. It is also a fact, whether Mr McLeod recognises it or not, that after filling the Chairmanship for two years, there was such. a strong antagonistic feeling against Mr McLeod in Helensville, that he was very nearly left off the Board altogether at the last election, and that only for my efforts he would have been defeated. Now, I am very loth to lay myself open to the charge of blowing about what I think I may have done, but seeing that Mr McLeod has raised' the question of " where Mr Rea Gomes in," I claim that in forming the Association already referred to, my object in doing so was for the purpose of endeavouring to secure the election of men who would carry out the reforms I considered necessary, —and that is where Mr Rea comes in, Mr McLeod's references to the present Chairman of the Board, do not materially concern me, I have already stated in my previous letter that I hold no brief for Mr James Stawart, being of the opinion that that gentleman is, I think, quite oapable of dealing with Mr McLeod. As to grinding axes, I haven't got a tomahawk even, Mr McLeod's innuendo nothwithstanding. Getting back to the original question as to which body should have the dominating control of the Swing Bridge, I notice that the Waitemata County Cou-ncil propose to get an qrde. r in Council defining the posifciqiif, whiyl}. is ? of qqurse, the proper thing to dp, and J havn't much doubt as to what the order in council will be. I also still maintain that, in my opinion, the Town Board have been justified in getting a}} the, information and data now in their pqssessJLOji} as to the various schemes, even though apparently it has taken a considerable amount of time to get. JJelens ville requires to look well ahead-h> tb§ cjarrying out of what may be termed ].ts Bubjio Works,, so as to prqvide not merely for a year or two. Axl^ in this respect %t> present B.oard, whatever other failing it may have, has so far shown the commendable spirit of getting expert information to lay before the people concerned, tin to, any business it lias in hand,, so that they njay be decently able to decide ' whether any given project is required or not.

Finally, Mi> for the purpose of sliqwiELg*" J^i' I^oa comes in,?? f challenge Mr- ai#es MxjLgQd to resign his seat on the Board and eoatest it with me—or rather I will eontgst it with. lUm. Yours faithfully, JOE REA,