PUBLIC OPINION.

Patea Mail, 17 May 1882, Page 3

PUBLIC OPINION.

Contributions, Letters, Inquiries and Answers thereto, are invited on Farming. Commerce, Politics, and matters of interest to the Patea district. , Names ■of writers; need not be Printed. W. WILLIAMS'S BANKRUPTCY. Your remarks about an investigation in this affair in two weeks will hardly prove correct, inasmuch as Mr Hamefton, on behalf of the debtor, told the judge when he was here that he Would see there was a sworn statement put in. We have given them; notice to do this, and over a month has ’ elapsed, and no statement filed. At the same sittings I got an order of the Court for Mr. Cowern .to produce the books of Williams and Sons for my inspection in seven daysy but the judge’s order and orders of the Court seem to be defied or played with. With regard to the other creditors and a dividend, 1 find some have been paid 20s in the pound, j others have been partly paid, and some arranged with. , T. North.

MORE PUBLI C-HOUSES.L A petition has been signed in favor of a liquor license being granted to a new building near Patea bridge. lam glad to hear that another petition is being got up against it, and quite right too. 1 hope my neighbors near the bridge will let the Licensing Committee see that this new public-house is not wanted at all. Where the trade for the new house is to come from I cannot see. There surely is no pretence that the residents in that part are in want of another public-house, iLwas expected that when the new Licensing Committee was elected, they would be more independent than the old Licensing Magistrates, so that the public would be protected against personal influence being allowed to. the bench. I hope this will be as wo expected. It would be a bad beginning for a new public-house to be licensed- between Mullen’s and M’Carthy’s hotels, where there is really no population. Those two houses have been doing very badly since the railway works stopped, and now that they can hardly pay expenses, another publican is to be put down between them. There will not be one dwelling-house between this hew hotel and M’Carthy’s hotel; and there are only four between it and Mullen’s hotel. Several people have asked me to write to the Mail and protest against what is being done. I enclose my name, and remain &c. ’’ ' Moderation.