CORRESPONDENCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 61, 26 March 1880, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

♦ [We are not responsible for the opinions of our correspondeuts.l LOCAL BOARD M ATTERB? TO THE EDITOR OF THE MANAWATU HERALD. Sir — Your issue of tho 9th inst. contains a report nf a Local Board meeting, and also a copy of a letter of mine to A. Gray, Esq. My letter was dated 3rd Maroh, and the notioe to convene the meeting is dated 4th March. Now, it is remarkable that meetings of the Board are always called when I am away for a few days, and lest there should be any doubt about the Chairman's desire to call meetings in my absence, and then say afterwards that it was what he terms a " coincidence," I wrote the above letter. Now, it must be clear that for some reason or other our worthy Chairman prefers my room to my presence. The reason is not far to seek. On the 14th January I wrote a note to the Board, pointing out that Mr Gray vas not eligible to sit as a Commissioner, for the reanons therein stated. That opinion has since been confirmed by an eminent lawyer, whose letter I would have laid before the Board bad I been present; but if any doubt remains on the subject, the Board should take advioe, and not go on with impunity to set aside the very law under which they are acting. Mr Gray is no doubt a very good Chairman, and a very good settler, and all that sort of thing, and I for one have nothing against him, nor he against me, so far as I know ; but for ail that we each of us have I duties to perform, and one of two things is a fact: either it is right that Mr Gray haa | received £46 10s for a right of road through his land, and should continue to reoeive a rental annually for said right of road, or it >is wrong. Either it is right that the Loo .1 Board Act, clause 16, should be disobeyed, :orit is not right. Suob expenditure as I above quoted is either proper or improper. Wbich is it ? I loave ratepayers to judge, and I leave ratepayers to say whether their representatives are doing their duty or not. If ratepayers are satisfied that this annual | expenditure of £12 should go on indefiI nitely, well and good ; and if the Board is i satisfied to go on in the illegal manner that it ia doing, witbour reference to any opinion otber than the Chairman's, let it do so. I deem it my duty to put these facts before my constituents, and to take such other steps as may be necessary to rectify any matter that may be for the general welfare of the ratepayers wbom I have the honor to represent, and whose wishes and interests I have endeavored to study. I am, &c, P. LOUDOM. Foxton, March 18.