LOOKING AFTER No. 1.

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 230, 23 June 1877, Page 2

LOOKING AFTER No. 1.

(To the Editor of the Patea Mail.)

- Mr Editor —I want to have a little talk with you on tbe Wanganui Herald’s leading article of the 13th instant. Don’t you think it contains a wonderful amount of irritation, considering the ground it has for its complaint ? If it is an evil to h»v<?

distinct set of interests to attend to, and jurist that they si mil not bo neglected, it ~'ts a very common evil. ■. Was there no one at Wanganui, to interview Sir Jmills Vogel, when lie was then , on matters of distinct interest to; them V 1 think there was ; and, if 1 mistake not,

one, at least, of the Wellington papera gave expression o the same effect, and Mr Du (hie, one cT the most correct con - mon-sense heads* in the district, at the meeting assembled to hear Sir J. Vogel’s address, urged Vanganui’s set of interests so much on the alteiition of that gentleman, that Mr Hmchison, who followed Mr Duthie, as the seconder of his proposition, made a sort of protest against Mr Dathie’s speech being taken as the mind of the Wanganui people, and Mr Hutchison said ho thought they had elected Sir Julius from higher and broader views. ’Phis, of course, was very pretty.-; but was not the real source of the Wanganui 'doctors’ satisfaction in having another member to represent them in Parliament, —the belief that their set of interests would he more powerfully advanced. Air'Duthie was evidently of this opinion, and whatever else Sir Julius was elected for, he could not honorably and conscientiously neglect to exert lu'msoli' in their furtherance.

Now, it seems to, mo, that Major Atkinson, according to Mr Kelly’s showing, has either not used his power, or Iris power

was not sufficient to induce the other

members of the Ministry to agree to faithjflF fully cany out the intentions of the House. If Mr Koll y is right it seems they have treated him very, much like a sueky. Surely the Wanganui Herald will admit that our railways should he classed among those things which the writer calls general principles, and winch ho says the Government ought to see carried out. At least, if they are not, they must have got into somewhat Dandy realms of political navigation. It any'of the Wanganui representatives feel irritated at themselves for being rather lax in looking after the movements of the Government with regard to the portion of railway between Wanganui and New Plymouth, they ought to apply what should ho a very soothing halm, the fact that tiny liave been most earnest in looking alter the more special and distinct set of interests belonging to their district, such as the Branch Railway to Wanganui, the Harbour, &c., and also, 'that it is said by one who used to bo thought a docent authority, that they who have much to do will err sometimes. There is a heavy demapd, I understand, just now, for the correct thing in science, So, Mr Editor, if you can see anything in that line in those remarks, you may blaze them forth for the benefit of the nation?. —I am, &c. FOP.