CORRESPONDENCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 152, 25 June 1878, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor op the 'Evening Mail.' Sir-— According to a late Government Gazet'e the Dog Nuisance ; Act ig now in force within the I -istrict of Takaka, and according to the balance sheet of the Takaka Road Board they have recovered £18 under the heading " Dog Nuisance Act." As I ani one of a considerable number, of the rate? payera of this district who feel indignant at the illegal and dishonorable action of the Takaka Road Board in bringing the Act into force in this district, and as your valuable paper is ever ready to. ventilate a grievance, I claim a small space for the purpose of stating the facts of the*case, and I leave you and the public to judge of the honorable action of our big bugs over here. The facts are as follows: — Previous to the proclamation in the Gazette about six weeks since, the Dog Nuisance Act was never in force within the District of Takaka, and the ; ratepayers have never shown the slightest desire that it should be. Its birth took place at the first meeting of the County Council which was held in this district.. Councillor Page was the father, and all his Brother Councillors supported him in forcing this " pup " nuisance on the ratepayers without their knowledge or consent. Only a few months elapsed after the birth of the sinful pup when the Councillors fouud him too troublesome to manage, so they handed the " creature "over to the Road Board, who proceeded to enforce the Act in the following manner:— Notices were posted in several places inthe district signed by. the Secretary of i the Road Board and the District Constable to the effect that dog tickets were ready, and that persons neglecting to register their dogs would be proceeded against. According to law a "chokey" was erected by the Board for dogs without tickets, and some dogs were actually taken and killed by the constable before the above-mentioned "chokey" was finished. Then the building was stopped, and remained half finished for several weeks, but in consequence of the District Constable having stated that it was not legal to enforce the Act, soon after the dog "chokey" was finished, and fresh notices were issued and posted by the Board and District Constable to the effect that legal proceedings would be taken against all persons who neglected to take out tickets for their dogs. The consequence was that between seventy and eighty ratepayers paid and got tickets for their dogs. Myself and many others would not pay as we considered it an illegal demand; After the Board had extorted £18 out of the ratepayers they found that otheis would not pay, and as they dared not sunimou the rebels they found themselves in a fix. Up to this point I their action was to some extent pardonable, as bigger and wiser bugs than the Board have wrongly interpreted an Act of Parliament, but where they have acted dishonorably is in not calling a public meeting of the ratepayers or acknowledging their error and refunding the money unjustly obtained, and asking the opinion of the ratepayers on the subject of bringing the Act into force. Instead of

taking the aWe straightforward coursi 3 the Secretary of the Board \raa sent round the! district with a petition in his hand soliciting the signatures of the ratepayers, and telling them at the same time that the Dog Nuisance Act was in force in the district, but that the object of the petition which he held in his hand and wished them to sign was to make the natives pay the rate, as it would be unfair to make white people pay and allow natives to go free. The consequence was that nearly everybody who was asked signed the petition without reading it, not for a moment suspect- s 5 ing deception from :3ucha : _ respectable quar- : ter. Now the Board and their Secret arv ought to know that there is no Act in existence by which.they could -make the^ -natives , pay the Dog Nuisance Tax, and they knew that the Act was not in force against white people so they adopted the above respectable means of bringing the Act into force. The whole of the district can bear me out in the aboje stalements,.and as I challenge contradiction I will not hide my uame, under any fictitious signatures. '• y . I am, &c, '".":' James Reillt. <. Waitapu, June 21, 1878.