CORRESPONDENCE.

Motueka Star, Volume I, Issue 13, 24 September 1901, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

TO THE EDITOR ;.' Sir : I was greatly surprised to find in your issue of the 17th inst a letter from Ngatimoti by one signing himself Old Settler, in reference to the Post Office lately opened at Air D. Beatson's. Now sir, this has to do with the good sense of some 50 residents who signed the petition asking that

the office should be opened for their convenience. It seems to me that Old Settler, whoever he may be, takes a lot upon himself when he openly denounces the efforts of his fellow settlers to better their position, and it shows bad feeling, and I think bad sense when a man strikes against his district gaining an advantage which is a boon to the many if not to himself individually. But when he says the Post Office established for years and the Postmaster has given universal :• atisfaction, and says, we want a newspaper that will put its foot down on such proceedings (such as granting new post offices) and that for y T ears past we have had to put up with neglect not only in Postal affaiis but in other directions, it must be very clear to all that Old Settler has passed his sphere of usefulness ; therefore I will not make any further remarks beyond stating the new office is proving to be the advantage we expected both to Orinoco and R osdale "Valley, being situated at the junction. One wdio signed. Orinoco, Sept 23rd, 1901.

To The Editor.

Sir : Councillor Franklyn, at the last meeting of the County Council, said that the Alotueka Borough had never controlled the wharf and that the promoters of the borough exclude*i it purposely from the borough boundaries. His first statement is substantially correct ; his second but partially so. The borough was gazetted in December 1899, the County Council had administered the wharf for the road district (which guaranteed the loan which built it) for some fourteen years. When the borough promot-ei s marked out the boundaries in order to make application that the place be gazetted a borough they had many things to consider. First their chances of getting what they asked for, more especially as the Government had expressed an opinion in the Local Government Bill (submitted to the local bodies for consideration) against granting any more boroughs with a population of ] ess than 4000 (under the new Alunicipal Corporations Act it it is now 3000) ; Secondly would the County Council raise an objection? It was thought it would, and it did ; Thirdly would it be advisable at that stage to include the wharf, seeing-that the Council was charging <£27 a year for administering it, paying their clerk that amount from the wharf fund, also seein"- that the proposed borough took no liability in connection with the maintenance of the Motueka bridge. It was decided not to claim the wharf then, as the county, if objecting, would obiect on more counts than one, and jepoardise our chances, which were considered, as it was, to be none too good in view of the Government's declared attitude in connection with small boroughs. However, we got what we asked for, and were content for the time. The Government su lose ■ neatly parsed a new Municipal Act, giving bnoughs power to become harbor boards. This, of course, suited us alriu'ht. snul we were prepared to claim from the County Council (on which we were not represented at all in the matter of the wharf) that property which, in ail equity should belong to those who guaranteed the loan which built it. Immediately after the passing of the Act mentioned, the Nelson Harbor Board Act was passed, and the county council without consulting any- • one interested, expressed a desire to ■ band it to the Nelson Harbor Board. s It is safe to sav that bad the borough . promoters" known that the County l Council set such little value on the ? whaif.. and were anxious to part with } [continued on page 5.J