CORRESPONDENCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 183, 4 August 1877, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

To THB EDITOB OF THH 'EVENING MAIL.' Sih— Exception hag been taken to your report of certain remarks of mine at the Road Board Conference the other day. x They were branded' by the Chairman as being untruthful, &c. However that may be, I entirely exonerate the Mail, as you kindly showed me the proof, and therefore I hold myself responsible for what the Mail " makes me say." 1 regret not to have noticed the meaning that the peccant seutence conveys in its naked significance, and I candidly confess that I did not wish premeditatedly to pass so harsh a stricture on the Road Boards. I would then request you to add the- words "as political bodies" after the word "community," which expresses my real opinion, and runs with the drift of my argument at both meetings of the Conference, lam, &c, Arthur R. Oliver. August 4, 1877. , • ~c '

To thb Editor oe the 'Evening Mail. 1 Sib-— Will you kindly allow me space in" your columns to explain why the proceedings of the Council were suddenly brought to aa end last night. ' l ' At the previous meeting a Iteaolution was , proposed to form a road near Mrs Snow'» property, Waimea-street, at aco3t of about £300. Those residing in the locality having ! 1 2tifcion«d the Council to make ;a footpath | oily, I strongly objected to the waste .of public money on a comparatively unuaed toad, and i it was proposed by the Mayor, and , seconded by Cr Waters, that the Public Works .Committee be requested to get from .the. City Surveyor an estimate of the cost of a.. foot- '. path only. Instead of this, the Committee in their report recommended the formation of a road, and entirely ignored the wish of the Council. „'.,■ :.•-.'... I called attention to the fact that the Committee had failed in its duty, aud proposed that the report should be referred back to the Committee for amendment, which by the casting vote of the Chairman was objected to, when, rather than waste .£3OO of the ratepayers' money on a bye-road, the' minority left the Council Chamber, and there being no quorum the Council had to disperse. The ratepayers must bear in mind that only two-thirds of the Council were present, one important member, the Mayor, being absent on Municipal business in Wellington. This reason alone, I think, quite justified the course adopted. I still have some hope of preventing the work being proceeded with, and thus save the money for work of more utility to the ratepayers aa a whole.— l am, &c, E. H. Pickering. Nelson. August 4, 1677.