CORRESPONDENCE.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 181, 23 August 1872, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE.

(To the Editor of the Mount Ida Chbonicle.) Sib, —Your spirituous correspondent, backed up, no doubt, by all the available talent of that immaculate body, the Trade Association, has made an.abortive attempt to plqy a classical tuue upon the municipal organ. Wheu Diogenes travelled round it was in search of that ra a avis, an honest man, and not a. wise one, as " Brandy and £oda " has stated It is not at all probable that such a knowiug philosopher would have thought it worth his while to have visited Nasehy on such an errand ; had he done so, depend upon it he would have given the can-; didates for municipal honors .in general and u Brandy and Sodain particular a wide berth. / The little game of importing foreign master into the argument has ijot proved a I quite agree with your correspondent as to the improbability of the miners allowing themselves to be cajoled into doing what would be detrimental to their interests—viz., aidiug or countenancing the formation of a municipality. It would prove in this district an endless source of litigation and annoyance to .the miner, by throwing obstacles in his way which do not a!t present exist. Perhaps it would not be out «»f place to enquire of " Brandy and Soda" to what happy combination of circumstances we are indebted for this audden regard for thera (the miners) on his part. Was it with the object of benefitting the miner or the district that these would be mayor and councillors aided and abetted in the sale of auriferous ground near the policy camp? To what leugth these gentlemen would have gone in the matter it is impossible to say, had the miners themselves not agitated against further sales. Great stress has been laid upon the opening up of reefs arid sinking for the main bottom, etc. Now, all this and more can be accomplished without a municipality, and is entirely outside of fch© question at issue. .Let me tell your correspondent that it does not come within the province of a municipal body to expend, nor would the Government allow them to appropriate, public money for any such purpose. The arguments in tins direction favor' considerably of political claptrap, Even thftt portion of the rates proposed to be levied upon the business community would injuriously affect the con sutler bv increasing the cost of carrying on any business, and consequently tending to raise or keep up the price of all goods sold. The public have had an opportunity of inspecting the petition opposing the municipal scheme, and satisfying them.selves as to its genuine character.

Does your correspond* utfi-.iagine for one moment i tat those persons whose signatures are upon the opposing petition—comprising, as they do, a majority ot' the householders within the proposed boundary—are not quite as capable of judging of the merits of the case as he or any of his clique are. iVoui the ' Waikouaiti lieraLd' I glean that the Council at Oamaru are without funds, and likely to remain so. with .the- honorable post of mayor literallj jroiiij,' a begging ; while the ' Government Gazette ' shows us that th'e Corporation at the Clyde are deficient to' the tune of in addition to £295 which chey have been unable, to ; collect. With these facts staring them in the face, I. would caution the public against placing any faith in these adepts at promising. what they are neither able nor willing to perform. That we already overtaxed is, I think, patent to al . The expediency of 'materially, adding to our list of official is, to say the least, very questionable.. Why, then, attempt to palm otf a municipality upon a district where it is not required. I am rather at a loss how to interpret the latter portion of your correspondent's epistie, in which he tells of gaunt-lets aud throwing up spon es. Not berny of a pugilistic turn of mind, I decline to solve the difficulty by an appeal to arms, and see no reason why I should . Tliis Furioso's clog displace, And meet Bombaafces face to face. ,r In conclusion, should " Brandy and. -»Soda " deign to reply to this my humble'uote. might I suggest that he as-; sume a less warlike attitude, and, if inclined to rhyme, bear in mind lioileau's advice to poets — Q.uelque >Oll le sujefc, ou pluisant. on sublime, Que toujours le" bem s.-ns, s'acoorde avec la rime. , . A pologising for so far intruding'upQri i your space, I am, <&c., CIIATILES PIEHS. • immmqwMMSMOCEiap—Maawftuioitra.Ti j O