CORRESPONDENCE.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1031, 2 February 1882, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

do not hold ourselves responsible for opinions expressed by our THE BOROUGH RANGER. Sir.—Have you ever heard the following story ? Scene between a policeman and a poor emaciated individual. Policemart, loq.: “ Hollo I my fine fellow. I have you this time, have I! Come on.” P.E. Individual: “ Me, sir I what for ? I’m a-doin nothing.” Policeman : * No more ain I—l haven’t done nothing these three months—l’m a-disgracing the force. Come on.” Now being in Court this morning put me ita mind of this story. I I think our Borough Ranger must work on the same principle as the policeman, to hear the way he so fervently rubs it in when he has an unfortunate individual up who has committed the heinous offence of allowing his horse to break away. “ Yes, your Worship, I think he lets the horse loose on purpose to annoy me!” says the man of a multitude -of callings. Now what right has he to think the horse is let loose purposely ? It would be quite enough for him to state facts that can be proved by evidence, without putting in a few innocent insinuations into the R.M.’sear. But there, the Corporation “ boss ” was on the Bench, so it is (excusable to be a little bit zealous at those times. But it is a strange world we live in—one man must not look over the hedge, but another man may steal the horse. In making enquiries I find our Ranger has about a half-dozen occupations, one of them to protect the people against nuisances of various kinds—l don’t think our Ranger has much of a nose. Another one is that of fire inspector, of which he must have '

a wholesome contempt, considering the number of empty cases and packages allowed to accumulate in back premises. Yet another occupation is to see that the butcher, the batter, and other purveyors keep and use honest weights and measures. Now I think this latter item must be a dead letter, or else we have the most imperishable measures ever formed, and the most conscientious tradesmen in the colony. So I think if he was just to look about, and take a little more trouble with more than the one department of his office, he would be doing something that would look as if he did not want to be paid for only doing a portion of the work for which he draws his salary.— Yours, Ac., Observer;