Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, JUNE 23. 1892. The Letter and the Bridge.

Manawatu Herald, 23 June 1892, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, JUNE 23. 1892. The Letter and the Bridge.

A letter was published in the Rangifcikei and Wellington newspapers which was written at a Minister's dictation, concerning a bridge ov6i? the Eangitikei river* With a View, apparently, of proving tSVO things* first, that; Ministers were evidencing more interest in Rangitikei* owing to the election, than generally; ; aiid secondly that the Minister Wished to be asked to g5 to the district so as to be able to make a speech, The Ministerial paper is wrath about this letter being made public, asserting that it was marked " confidential." The same newspaper, a day or two previous, mentioned that the letter was no bribe as it had only stated that the bridge Would "not be lost sight of" which signified, in Ministeiial language, that nothing would be done ! Of course the editor has a hard battle to make it clear why an answer to a public question should have been marked " confidential," and why a sort of promise to attend to a necessary work should have been answered in language so evasive and polite, as to be read by him, a man initiated in the writings of Ministers, to mean that nothing would be done. The matter appears plain that the letter should not have been published if marked " confidential,' 1 but it appears just as plain that communications between the Government and the taxpayer, upon a question of the expenditure of public money, should be open and above board and should not be marked " confidential." It would likewise be more fitting that replies, made to persons justified in making public applications for works, should we worded in such a manner that the sender and recipient should be able to arrive at the same meaning. Our newspaper friend has taken half a column to further fog up this clear issue.