AN AMUSING LETTER.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 360, 17 April 1889, Page 2

AN AMUSING LETTER.

Tiiß following- letter, read atthe meeting of Pinko County Council on Saturday, occasioned much merriment amongst the members . — Te Aroha West, 18th March, 1889. To the Cleric, Piako Count}' Council: — Dear Si:, — Young Stewait, the present runner of the punt at Murphy's Landing^ gave me a bit of gratuitous information on the evening of the Bth, in telling me the bridge across the river there was not to ben free bridge, but a toll one, that ho had jußt received a letter from the Council about it, giving him the appointment of toll keeper ; a gate was to be put on thebridge and kept locked, only to be opened when passengers were crossing, the tolls as far as be knew then were to be 6d for a trap, 4d for a horse, beyond that he did. not know. As I had never occasion to doubt either the veracity or honesty of young Stewart, I was very much taken, i aback and indignant that we should be subjected to the inconvenience of a tolK gate there, with all its attendant delays and vexations, for the paltry revenue tbat would, be derived from it. Seeing no corroboration o£ the statement in the papers, nor hearing none from anybody else, I taxed him with falsehood last Saturday when he admitted it was false. 1 then asked hira, what made him tell me and he threw the blame on to the Murphy's, that they had put him up to it. If such was the case it was a nasty mean trick to purposely mis^ construe the purposes of the Council ; and turn the satisfaction we anticipated by the erection of the bridge into discontent, for it will take me some time and a considerable amount of effort before I clear my brain of its effects. May I ask" if such a pmposewas ever piooosed at any meeting of tho Piako Count}' Councillors, and if so by whom. Please excuse my troubling you with tlio enquiry and necessary reply, and, believe mo youis truly, 11. J. Ha\yiunr v