ONE OF C.B.'S DIRTY GOVERNMENT TOOLS.

Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 491, 14 February 1880, Page 2

ONE OF C.B.'S DIRTY GOVERNMENT TOOLS.

(2’o the Editor of the Patea Mail.) Sir, —I see that the individual who has (doubtless for the bbst of all reasons) adopted the abo vq'nobi de plume, emboldened by the’ fact that in my last I declared my intention not to take notice of further anonymous communications, has again indulged in' a 1 tirade of vulgar personal abuse, in the name of the people of Hawera. 1 hope “ the people' of Efawera” are proud of their plucky champion! I still adfrere'td'my determination not to notice anonymous attacks, but cannot overcome the temptation to quote the remark of a witty lady friend, who, with me, was hugely enjoying the “ Dirty Government Tool’s” last literary effort. lt Don’tyou remember,” she said, u what Byron wrote of that cad who scribbled anonymously in the ‘ travellers’ book’ at Orchomenus—- ‘ The modest bard, like many a' bard unknown, Rhymes on our names, but wisely hides his own ; But yet, whoe’r he be, to say no worse, His name would bring less credit than his verse.’ ” Byron wrote more for less in the last line, but he had not the same individual in view. By-the-way, several well-meaning friends in Havrera and Normanby have volunteered to me the name of my anonymous assailant, but, while thanking them, I can assure them I have no de&ire to drag him irom that obscurity in which he appears to delight, and wherein he dbnbtless revels in a sense of calm security of which a man would be ashamed. I may, before proceeding to another portion of my letter, just add that I referred one sentence of your correspondent’s letter to my Wellington solicitors, believing it to have been- written with a view to injuring my private character. Their reply is before me, advising me that the whole thing is too contemptible to be taken serious notice of. But, Sir, while not deigning to parry this second thrust in the dark, you will, am sure, permit me to reply to one point upon which I have baen criticised in year own leading columns, and in- the correspondence columns of other journals —in,' I admit, from your point of view,

a, perfectly fair manner. I sin: charged with ..having represented -Parihaka ; tO:be a .sort ’of Utopia so far as total abstihAiice from intoxicating drink id Concerned, and am told that, far from, this being the case, it is, at the time of ' the monthly meetings ; a perfect Pandemonium of drunkenness Arid debauchery. Now, Sir, I described Parihpka as I saw It; nofr«s the liific *>f»a month lymjeeliog. • CharlesWallace{than who'ilt-r.cbtild sß'Bife no more defer iiiter'prpi&r'. ;aird~ '• jpieiltgsnt cotnpailtoii) ,oae ; ‘ ’hdi to take my ‘xaf 'gt&j •at • *. 'lB hoars’ confinement & k#j9e^^«r4<9}(r whare, I really wanted a stiumlant, ! was, assured that there was not-' a drop- ofspirits in the place. What epithetwould I have richly afier this ex-' periencei I had described.. Farihaka asthe Hell; and I’e Whiti as the blackguard that some persons believe it arid him to be;. However, it. may be thpt .at the peHod ; of these, morithly gatherings .a very different -state.'-of affairs prevails-V; and when I again visit Pafihaka; cither on the occasion of the February or ; the March meeting, I shall describe .what I ’ • then nee as faithfully as I described what I saw wheh last therd.;- If. drunkenness, ./ debauchery; and vice are cither openly displayed or indulged in rosa, I shall not -hesitate to expose it in as unequivocal words aS the English language possesses.

One .word more—and this to “ the people of Hawera. ” If any respectable bond fide settler of Hawera, who is neither ashamed of his name, nor too much of a coward to sign it when attacking another, and who either on his own account or m representing the settlers generally-, feels that I have aggrieved, him or them, will state that grievance in! temperate language, I will be happy t6 trieet him in fair argn'rffent in any way that may suit bis convenience.

With respect to my position in the profession, on which if has been Sought cast a doubt; I may say that in’ journalism competition is keen, and promotion purely by merit. We cannot afford to “scamp"—as surveyors and contractors sfyle it—work' that day after day pusses under thousands of critical eyes. Such being the case, I may rest perfectly satisfied with having represented the Daily Review. .(Edinburgh)' throughout the whole of.the civil waf in the United States, with having been selected by the Royal Geographical Society to accompany an exploring expedition to Central Africa in the capacity of historiographer (though prevented from going by sudden illness), ansi wi£!i; at the present moment, filling the permanent positions of special correspondent to the Lyttelton Times, N.Z. Herald, special Parliamentary correspondent to the Wanganui Herald, and New Zealand correspondent to a leading London journal, the name of which 1 1 am 'debarred, from publicly mentioning, I enclose my several cards, and beg to' subscribe mvself—Sir, Yours' <&c.;S. CROUMBIE-BROWN. Normanby, February Dth, 1880. [No more letters will be inserted on the above subject. — Ed. Maid,]

(To the Editor of the Patea Mail.) Sir. — ln Saturday’s issue of the Patea Mail, you kindly furnishted tne undersigned with a little gratuitous advice ; likewise sub-section 4, clause 62, “ Counties Act, 1876.” Will you please insert sub-section 1. clause 62, of the same Act, for the special’ benefit of Councillor Dale and several other members of that august body, the Patea County Council, which roads ns follows ; “The following persons shall be incapable of being, or ef being elected to be a Councillor—that is to say, a; bankrupt or insolveut who baa not obtained his final order of discharge." Clause 63' goes on to say that such persons shall be liable to aponalfy not exceeding fifty pounds for every such offence. The Council proceedings, as reported in Saturday’s Mail; are liable to mislead the public,- therefore I will, with your permission, furnish a little information in reference thereto.

When Councillor Dale and several other Councillors were speaking of the legality of my being a Councillor, the burden of their song was—if this, if that, and if the other. My reply was—lt is all ifs, and nothing more. I proposed that the legality ot Councillor Dale holding a seat in the Council, and supplying the Council with gravel at 2d per yard, be tested in the R.M. Court; as, following out Councillor Dale’s ifs —viz., if two contractors tendered to do certain gravelling,- one: from Councillor Dale’s pit, and the other from an opposition m pit, the chances wore that the contractor W who tendered from the opposition pit • would loose Councillor Dale’s.vote, even if Councillor Dale’s gravel was of an inferior quality; secondly, if the contractor got the gravel from Councillor Dale’s pit, and it was not up to sample,- the chances were the Foreman of Works would not so strictly do his doty to the public for fear of loosing Councillor Dale’s vote.- Speaking of the Council taking Councillor Dale’s gravel under the Public Works Act, I will leave the public, to judge the amount of taking it would require, when they consider the area of Harbor Board land which contains the gravel pit on the Patea Hill, which was purchased by Councillor Dale ; (unfortunately the gtaVel extends a little beyond Councillor Dfclp’f,boundary, more of which anon). : 4 I will now, Mr Editor, tender you a little advice —viz., bear.both sides-of a question before giving advice on aijy subject. —s.nd allow me to subscribe myself, Yours truly, F. J. GAxN’S.

(To , the Editor of the Patea Mail.) Sie,: —I will feel obliged if you will grant ms space in the columns of your paper for a few remarks on what took place at the meeting held in the Waverley Town Hall bn the 12tb Jan., for nominating Wardens for the. Wairoa Highway Board ; and likewise a few remarks on the conduct oi tbe * late Board while in office. They were :

accused of doing their work in secret; and that they had reudered-no account-tothe ratepayers of what they had done with the rates and subsidy for the four years “and over they had been iri office, in the shape 1 of a published'balance,-sheet,.-or in any other form. When the question- was put why this had hot been done, the Chairman’s reply was that they were riot compelled by law to do so. These' gentlemen, it seems, their transactions, as ii Ttoaid iiwa#. ; arhitteiryj;'pjfflt6n* : sfoc,> ibd? ofc. yeaip, ■ that, tb«. .ptiippot,, qtaaj tbTU nearly,'’if' riot quitffil £6O() l l^iflrigfiSgJ‘io»^folr. J DindrSfyWjafds lisfabsea i 4 itp^rided 4 tori' >£ Tb ad'ibetWeen 4 Nos s■' arid ;4vWard8 r ßaid ; road,heirigvfr>f' no benefit: to igylcfSd ratepayerH.fnight: have £9004 tbe ipqeasf a pf rpaking the Board '9^ positiirii ; ,, ( If' almost" have rhqefi .wonder‘if they, had riot’tried ; to atojothe iriljsagproprikfforioi their irioney,' when tWirbvvri roads Were uripUasable: , .I will describe bridsuiall piece in No; 5-Ward, through-a cuttiugvaiidi eriihft'nkment. across £ ,« awaaipy creek ndVbeing.graYelletii.r iftis - perfect hog in winter,-and ip tyet weftthpn, e veu in, aumiqec,. is, floi wqcli hotter... The ihis'road arid bog is tiie only • riutlef, fcontaiiia 'ah area .of 3,1)00 acres. ’The' o'Vr^ts-‘6f these properties have n paidsubsidy the same, and aboutithe half of that money has been expended for their benefit. Along this road. a large portion; of the firewood for (be town rif -.Waverley ' is carted, arid some of the farmers who, have no bush on their farms cart their firewood, posts and rails, &c., and the Chairman of the Board would have to do the same if some of his neighbours did not ‘ allow him to cart through their paddocks. When the Board to to gravel this small piece of road, the reply was “ no. funds,” although a great portion of their rates and subsidy were being taken to make and maintain roads in another prirt of the district. This style of spending other people’s money may be safely termed misappropriation. These gentlemen, Mr ‘Editor, must have taken their cue from Sir George Grey and Mr, Macandrew. It is. reported that some of them aro training with a view to Legislative honors. Old Sir Geoige ought to be told what a power-, ful buttress is being built up here for his. support; it would encourage the bid man to again come to the front. , That these ■ gentlemen (the late Road Board) conducted their business in a most, dignified manner, the following instance is a proof. A few of these unfortunate ratepayers, whose only road to their properties was through the bog alluded to above, deputed three of their number to wait on the Board to. ask them to legalise theii action in levying a special rate on their properties for the purpose of paying an engineer to try and find s practical line of road between their homes and Waverley, where they have to go to church, school, and market. They asked for no money ; all they asked therri to do was to legalise their action ; and their reply was—“ Gentlemen, we decline to entertain your .request.” Would you, Mr Editor, call this reply civil? I call it nice and brief. Up the Middle expended between three and four hundred pounds. This road was reidly required ior two settlers, the area of whose land is 225 acres. ’ The chairman of the Board and others, of course, ;Cbuld use it, so they ' could the Upper Mangitangi Road,, both roads leading to the-'main road and to \Vavqrley, and not.much difference in their lengths. Some folks believe in havingtwo strings to their bow, and I suppose there are folks that believe in having two or moie good roads to their homes ; hut what about these unfortunates on the wrong; side of the beg, who'have not gut one i As I have already trespassed too much’on' your indulgence, 1 must leave the rest of -rdy remarks for a future oceussiun, if you ' will again grant me'space.—-I auric., WILSON MILNE.