CORRESPONDENCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 308, 27 December 1872, Page 4

CORRESPONDENCE.

•*• We are desirous of affording every reasonable facility for the discussion of public subjects; but it must be understood that we are in no way responsible for the opinions expressed by correspondents. To the Editor of the Nelson Evenikg Mail. Sib, — One or two of the inhabitants of Hardystreet have obtained names from some of the dwellers in Bridge, Hardy, Nile, and Waimea streets, for the purpose of building a sewer in those streets. I fail to gee that what ' they complain of would be cured, by a culvert in Bridgestreet, Nile-street, or higher up the Waimeastreet than its junction with Hardy-street. Ninetenths of the inhabitants ot these streets would derive no benefit whatever from the proposed culvert. And to spend money at the present time on this work is far from beiDg prudent. It will be a tax on the energies of the people for twenty years to come, not only to those who have to pay the special rate, but to those also who j pay the general rate, that is, every inhabitant of Nelson; for on them falls the burden ->f the interest, and twenty years' interest is not a light matter at any time to contemplate, and must be greatly so at tbe present time. I think, Sir, that the first thing that should have been done when a culvert was proposed by those interested was to call together tbe people who lived in the streets through which the culvert was proposed to pass, and lay the proposal fairly before them, and consult as to the need of the undertaking and their ability to pay for it ; I say, Sir, this should have been done ; it would have been only fair for all concerned. Ho meeting was called, and many names ' on the requisition would not have been there had such meeting been held or had they time to turn the matter over in their minds. No opportunity , was given them ; their pecuniary means to carry " out the proposal was not consulted ; their names simply were asked, and many, when they signed the requisition, had no clear idea of the hardship they were bringing on themselves and others by simply signing their names. I maintaiD, Sir, for the sake of justice to all parties that "such a requisition should hays lain in some central place, where all information could have been given, and where all matters in reference to payment, amount of payment, time of payment, and every other matter in connection therewith could have been given, and both sides of the question heard, and time allowed for consideration, before any name was asked and given. It showed great want of consideration on the part of those who took the matter in hand, to get names in the way they did. There was another thing that deserved consideration, and that was the ability of the ratepayer of that special district to pay for a culvert. This is not a time to add fresh taxes to those already levied; to add, for twenty years, a burden on property when more that one-half of it stands idle, a' down-draught to the owners; houses empty and going to decay; with Board rates and water rates hanging over them. Had money been as plentiful as it was when the Trafalgar-street sewer was constructed, and property, as well occupied,- and future prospects *as fair, the levying of the tax would have been of less consideration; but-the reverse is the case; ' the want of money, the dulaess of the times, and the dark future before us, will not in reason allow ~us to entertain the question of a culvert at the present time. ■ ' ' = . As a resident in the district where the culvert is proposed, I claim justice to myself and every owner who refused to sign the requisition. Justice in the way of having the . subject well considered .by themselves before any order is given to construct a culvert. The general ratepayers also ought to be consulted in the matter, as. they have to pay ■« the interest of £5000 for twenty years — not a light burden to lay on themselves and their children. The schemehas been entered' into rashly; the interest of us all has not been considered ; and to proceed with the scheme .on its present foundation, and in the manner in which it was formed, would be extreme folly.* lam, &c, ." . * ... . , Batepayek.

To t^b Edmok of the Nelson EvsniNa Mail. iSib— Hating seen a letter in the il/oz7, signed • " Honestas,*' charging Mr. Suriley with having ; apprppriatedvthe; credit of ; my son's " performance at the recent examiria^ion for scholarships; which ought to belong; to his' late- master, .Mr. Smith, ( . lihaveonly-tofsay^from -an intimate^ knowledge .of my son's acquirements when" 'he left Mr. "{:■' Smitli's,- 1 consider he ,has>; gained more real ; r , ;undey" Mr^^^ : .the last; / :':ißi^lnpnthfli^nderJ■MT.:Smiih.■"' : ■';' : ' '.','-■ ".'"'-.. '.v.' 1 ...;'^ -- ?!''• '■ W^ 1? Ab:^ proo^ of >i whic>iathe, >'boy . l ?Dpidge^,,who , . -■ :; Xrißraslf Snathe "{■ 'same/iclass,.: and ■ J

made but 17 marks; whereas, my son made 112, the difference of 95 I place to the credit of Mr. Sunley's careful instruction. . .... .'.- Alfred Habley. To the Editor op .the" Nelson Evening Mail. Sik — It is greatly to be regretted that 60 mneh fuss • has been made over the classification/ of two boys in the Provincial Scholarships examination, but as the correspondence is now taking such a turn as to make it imperative that the true facts of the case be shown to the public I crave space for the explanation. About three weeks before this examination the Central Board of Education appointed a Commission to examine into and report upon the state of Stoke school in apswer to a petition from 1 the ratepayers of that district. The examination took place, and afterwards Messrs Simmons and Hodgson both expressed a wish that the two boys in question should be-entered for the College Scholarships, in order to find out how they stood relatively to other boys of similar age in the various schools.; Alter a repetition of the request consent was given. The boys in the interim had been entered at Hampden-street School, and when the master of that school wished to know if the boys should compete for th&scholarships, I left the matter to his discretion. 'As he was not aware of the facts narrated above, of course, he could not understand the importance or otherwise of the lads being entered as Stoke or- Hampden-street scholars. lam, &c, | Win. Eotjt. To the Editor of the Nelson Evening Mail. Sib,— After nearly 'a year's hard grinding I have just entered upon a month's vacation, and trust to spending ifc in a more pleasurable manner than in carrying on a newspaper war. It may be, however, that my surmise as to whom Honestas is is incorrect, but if he will drop liis illbefitting sobriquet and honestly print his own name, it may be that after holidays I may deem it worth my while to shed more ink io the matter, until then I can but return his compliment, and wish him a Merry Christmas, and a prosperous New Year. Yours,_&c, E. M. Shisley. To the Editor of the Nelson Evening Mail. Sik— l am afraid the battle incident upon the assembling of the boys for the Scholarships Examination must have prevented Messrs. Hodgson and Simmons from clearly understanding what I really did say at the time, or they would never have written that I repeatedly assured them that " Messrs Harley and Eout would not allow their sons to enter upon any other condition " than that of belonging to the Hampden-street school. It was I myself who refused to enter them upon any other condition. The case was simply as follows: — Having consulted some days previously with Mr Kout, who, as he brought the boys to my school I looked upon as standing in loco pareniis to both, as to how the boys should be entered, he left it entirely to my discretion to act as I thought fit in the matter. Accordingly, on the morning of the examination, I took the boys down and wished them to be entered as pupils belonging to my school not seeing how I could without permission very well enter them as another person's, but to this Mr Hodgson demurred, and I then said " Very well, I shall withdraw them " Mr Hodgson then applied to Mr Simmons, who pointed out that the course I wished was out of the question, because if successful the boys could not take the Scholarships, they not having complied with the stipulated regulations of having attended a town school for the term of two years, adding that they need not be withdrawn as he would find out how to class them, or words to that effect. To' this I at once complied, and was not a little surprised that they were classed as my pupils after all. I cannot help remarking that' from some cause best known to themselves, the examiners seem to have given a very undue prominence to a very trivial matter, and in this opinion I am not at sll singular. It is quite clear to me that had the boys greatly distinguished themselves they would not have been classed as my scholars, and I need hardly add that under existing circumstances I should have been just as pleased if they had not. I am, &c, E. M. SUNLET.

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