CORRESPONDENCE.

Motueka Star, Volume I, Issue 11, 17 September 1901, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE .

TO THE EDITOR

Sir : Can you tell the public why the school has been closed for a week just before the examination ? It is said that the teachei-s have gone to Nelson to learn the kindergarten system of teaching. Are we to understand that we ax-e to have a repitition cf the foolishness of teaching the children to make mud pies and cut paper and such uonsense ? It is very difficult f .-r many of us to spare our children at seine times in the year, and seeing that they have so much broken time I think thex-e should be more of the three R.’s aud less clay moulding as it is called. I fox* one see no good in it. I am, etc. Pax-ent. To The Editor. Slrr—l read the contribution by Criticus which appeared in the Nelson Mail and was greatly amused with it, but I see by the Tuesdays issue of the Stax-, the feelings of at least one Ti-oopex* are hurt and in his opinion his character- is blackened. He says It is time he “jacked” it up, and so on. Poor delicate mortal. Was lie one of the seasick dainty lot that represented us at Wellington and Christchurch ? Again he says, “The Captain should wi-.te and let tae Nelson people know that it is a libel on us etc.” Poor ,obtuse chucklehead can he not appreciate the lmmcuvo.f the screed he complains oi i Tire parades and practises which he attends so regularly may give him a martial and valorous air-, but apparently the training has not quickened his brain or toughened his skin. Lord Kitchener renrai-ked that the N. Z. Ti-oopers were smart intelligent lot oi men ; it is well for the colonials tlurl he did not see and know them all. 1 am etc., Vetera :i.

Sir: — Same person or persons axe waxing funny at tiie expense of some members of our Council extolling- seine for their virtues and decrying- others X have no intention of singling out any one « f them for criticism but will speak of the Council as .a body. Sir as one pay.ng a fair amount of i-ates I would like to know how much the stonebreakev has c« st the Council ell; .gather. The amount must be something pretty ecm.-ideiable. I am not opposed to anything new just beer use it is new. and generally speaking am of opinion that m a chin ox y is an advantage if it can he piolitably worked. lint what could have pr.-sessed the Council to purchase a machine which none of them knew anything about and knowing also that no one here was able to properly look after it aml work it to advantage. Ceitain members tell me that it lias broken from 50 to 70 yards a day that may be so but 1 think the method of winking it is very piimitive. The large number of men ai d c.v. t> cmpl yed mu tbe veiy expensive,to say uotlm'g < f the breakage's a id renewing of the jaws. X understand that n return is to be furnished by the Clerk next meeting concerning it. Yon

will do the public a favour by publishing it that we may have a better understanding of the question. Thanking vru for space. J L. n To The Editor. S r —I 1 ave just received my copy cf the Motueka Stax- containing a paragraph to the effect that a new post office had been opened at Mr i). Peatson’s, less than two m les firm Kgat*moti, where an offce has been established f >r manv years, the postmaster giving universal satisfaction. What is the meaning of this new departure?

Is political indue nee at the bottom of it, or has the whim cf one man, our PooBah, been gratified? The new office was not wanted, and how the Chief Postmaster has been wheedled into recommending the request, is a mystex-y to many of us. Six-, I hope, in futui*e, you will look after these matters for us. We want a newspaper- that will put it’s foot down on such proceedings. Foxyears we have had to put up with neglect not only in postal affairs, but in otheidirections. The Waimea County Council has treated us in an off handed manner; our roads, especially in wintertime, ai-e a disgrace. "We pay rates and seemingly get no retux-n for our money. is ow and then the Inspectorcomes along, listens to our growlings, px-omises attention to our wants and that is all we lieax- fx-om the Council. Ho wonder we agitate for a Road Boax-d to look aftex- our interests, we have stood it long enough and even the worm tux-ns some time oi- other. Old Settlei-. Kgatimoti, Sept 15th.

Sir: Some weeks: ago you drew attention to the fact that Mr Sadd had been i 1 our district in connection with the bridge to be ei-ec-ted over the Motueka rival- at Pangatotai-a. % I should wisli with yc.ur permission, to urge my fellow settlers to be awake on this question. Sir McKenzie does not appear to worry himself about us ; I suppose because he thinks he is sure of our votes next election. Thei-e is a chance of tills session drawing to a close vex-y soon, and if it ends before a vote is put on the estimates fox- the bridges the wants of the settlers will not be accomplished. 'MI- Slattei-, who we look to worry our member is going to sleep I think. If he can’t or won’t stir himself we must get some one else. " a.

Pangatotara, Sept 11th.

Sir : We are told that no wharfage is paid on goods shipped to or from Motueka at any othei- place than Motueka, and according to the Chairman of the Harboi- Board shippers and consignees since the passing of the Act are entitled to claim against these wharves who have wrongfully charged wharfage. Never-tireless, it is a fact that the charges are still being made and paid, and a refusal to pay means that goods will not be shipped from Kelson. I should like to know what treatment Riwaka shippers will receive on shipments to and from their port, now conti-olled by the Riwaka Rad Boax-d. The wliai-f----age there is 6d a ton. Ko mention is made in the Act of any “ concessions ” to any othei- port than Motueka. Will Riwaka consignments be charged at oi--dinary rates? If the Chairman of the Riwaka Board, who is also member blithe Motueka. riding on the County Council thinks it is a good tiling for Motueka to be controlled from Kelson and enjoy “concessions ” why does’nt he move that the Harbor Board take over Riwaka and extend the kind treatment t > his constituents there? The Road Bi.ard on his motion I undei*stand “emphatically protested” against any of their foveslioi-e being controlled bv the Motueka Borougli Council. The R ad Board objects to their fox-eslxore Harbor etc , exploited by their neighbors but lee no wrong in the exploitation of the said neighbor by somebody else. Kow Sir the Borough Council has never contemplated nppi-opriating any of the Riwaka, foreshore, ox- anything else that does not belong to them. If the Chairman of the Road Boax-d in his of County member had taken an interest in pi-eventing the of piracy as he is evidently anticipation of a similar act ame we wonld’nt be in the mess we ax-e now. Borough Councillor.