The Daily News MONDAY, JUNE 22. MR. MAXWELL AND MR. MARX.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 155, 22 June 1908, Page 2

The Daily News MONDAY, JUNE 22. MR. MAXWELL AND MR. MARX.

We wrote ou Saturday of tlic perilous ! position in which the ratepayers of tlie southern portion of TaranaUi would find ' themselves should the present Harbor < Bill l>e defeated, and endeavored to show that in following the advice of Mr. Jacob Marx ratepayers were noting against* their own best interests. Incidentally we referred to the false positiim in which Mr. Marx has endeavored, with, we mu*t admit, a eonsiderable amount of success, to plaee Mr. Maxwell wiilt regard t, P the hitler's attitude over ami interest 111 the proposed Hill. I'p (ill Natiir.lay Mr. Maxwell's bauds were in a way iied. In bis zealous and con-rieii I mils desire to (unserve and promoi" the inlcrc-I- of the southern, ami what we lilieln 1..r convenience eal! llie "out side" ratepayer,, lie was unable ;,, aflinn in - any plain words thai their the mailer. And bad it not been for the s.ilieitaiion of his friend-, who did not feel prepared t.i allow Mr. Maxwell's publie reputation and iiitcerily to heeoine further openly ipic-tioiicfl. ratepayers woiiid liavv still been in ieuoranee of the real motive- animating Messrs. .Maxwell ami Mclean in giving the |iresent propo-als their umpialilied support. At Olukeho recently, Mr. Marx, in answer to a question, referred to a certain letter which lie said he had in his po-session regarding Mr. Maxwell and his connection with the Harbor Kill. We are glad he did refer to this letter because its publication will clear the ground completely, not only explaining in a trenchant and lucid manner Messr-. .Maxwell and McLean's (and parlictilarly tin' former's) position in respect to the Kill, but showing how greatly is Mr. Marx's misconception of his duly to the ratepayer- and his total disregard of the patent facts of an issue fraught with so much importance to that section of ratepayers he has been elected to represent. The letter was conlidrntial till Saturday. It is not go now, for apparent reasons. \Y'e publish it in full, /is follows:

Marumarunui, Opunakc, 26th May. 1008. Mr. Jacob Marx, Mangatoki. Dear Sir,—! gather from the papers that- you are still speaking against the j\ew Plymouth Harbor Bill—not putting the position fairly, a* you stated to the Board that you would, but putting lit' l one side only, making the most of any supposed weak points and not in any way pointing out or emphasising On. strong points, which simply mean-, that you arc doing your utmost to raist strung opposition to the measure. Thi? 1 greatly regret, and am at a eomplen loss to understand, considering how favorable in every way the whole mea Hire is—even if. for the sake of argu nient, it was allowed that lb'- tM">oi annua! contribution to the Board e not absolutely secured if not re»ptin>< for interest. Of course, there j-, abso ■jitely no ih to tin* eompnlson payment before any n'te could 1m Minck. But what is utterly inemupre iicn-dbje to ii)i" i- that yon. whilst rcprc anting the ratepayer* and professing t> be acting in lliei r interests, should, in .•.lead of doing your utmost to help ;h< Bill. ppo«ing it. after I have dis tinctly drawn your attention to tlm perilous position the ratepayer- are ii

under the piv-ent Act. To be explicit. I I ha\e shown you that, -honld thi> I Bill be del eat en ill Ihe lloil-e. or -hi'llld i the poll la ii to be carried, the net j amount (about CITiOJIOOI of the p|c-ciit ! loan will have to be reborrowed under i the prc-ent Act, which secures the loan. | so far a- payment of interest i> con | ■ erued. on a ; :yl r,He- that i<. thai only | the rai" i- earmarked for payinen: of | I i:iteve-i. i on-eijuently tie' ra'ej:a;,«'r-. i so far a- any protection »»r provi-ion iti ' the Ad. ran be called llpoh In pay the • whole 11i :hc iiitereM and eliargc-. vi/.. j C<»")"»o. <>r. with increaM'tl eo*t oi' <oiiection. ciiifni a year, on a level rate, j and thai riyhi ironi date. l<t May. lOOii. j Bui even if the Land Fund wa> -bared [ rijuaih be;ween thi- ami another loan! which would certainly be rai-ed. the j pt»ihon would be: Land Fund. .U-lUSO. , -Half of ihi- ( C-2;i00) towards payment of interest on net loan would : leave the ratejiavefs to pay l!-|lliH» I C2::un otv LtJtiOO) oil a level rate. \ nder the Bill there can't po->ibly be any rale for s*»jnc years (I contend, ten year- at lea*ti. And. further, even if the Land Fund and endowment revenue did not ri-e at all in tho«.e year>- to >uppo*e that they would not you knowto Ik- an absurdity—there i* no possible chance of a gn-ater deficiency than plus covts of collection, and XIHHi l'l4.V> on a <lill'erential rate, or about etpial to 1 -40 th of a penny in the C in the third area, diminishing very rapidly as Land Fund and endowment revenue

increases, as against reborrowing under the present Act: an annual ]>n ymenjf. Parting Kt .May, 100!). of .C4:ton as aliow <>n n Icvr] rait*—ju>( Huso <>n ! !,d in tin* t\ Now, how rati you licite?lly tub' up the petition you an.* doiny of opposing a Hill which will, liy carmarking Land Fund, endowment revenue, and .C-l.iflO from duo* (\re will meet y<»u l»y savins* the latter only if n rate struck). which would put I In* ratepayers in a perfectly sure position under which flicy can at the mo-t nt any time be called upon for ClloO M ( Mh of a penny rate in tlic third area, and only that after some years and then only for a few years, and l>y opposing (his Bill leave them in the position that they may lie called on for CGCOO on a level rate -l-Ud, and certainly for at (east £-130'J—just close on |/ f; d? However, you prusumjlily know your own business, and t nin only writing so that there may he no question as to my con* reptionof duly t<» tlie ratepayers under the circumstances. .'Mid you may jiulije what others will think when they know i lie tnm posit inn. tor. although it would never do (o let out one hint of the very jjrave <k*f<rt in the present Act until the JWI is carried, 1 have, besides pointing it out clearly to you, plSced the position —in strict confidence before three others, viz., the editor of the Ilawera Star, the editor of the Opunake Time*, and- Mr. Hrennan (and subsequently (o the editor of the Taranaki Daily News). Kach and all of these arc a ware thai the position has been put before you and the other*. And. m' should the fall be defeated and ihe ratepayers sutler, as they assuredly will, the whnle matter will ••om«' nut -11). 1 Im> pulili-hed. and it is willi 111.- id)ic<'i , t f lur iln-In^.-iity. and aUn {■• 1.-i the papers understand how *rrinii* the portion of the ratepayer* is. that I have placed the matter before them, and for the same reasons | ,im them enpio* nf thi> lei I IT. I took eva'tlv ihe I when I Parted iat ion* fu I all tiie pr<»vi»ioiu I have into the Hill. I Wmk the precaution when writ-

in» tlk' li*tLi*t 1.1 Mr. Kin». in wliii-li I | mi! in iN'iail nil th< i ]>rnvisions rrijiiiI site in ill'* iiitf'n"'<*U nf thi* ratepuyrr-;. jnf a i ii|A' t<i fnclwoimlrv mem j In r ami nf -jiving tinj ' l |niKi:] s i' Tim.- U,t\\ria Star, an.l Dnilv j New-. T'ii* «.\a- in oiiavil ncain-i am* | !!iMV|<n «.«•!'; i' i<«ii in tin* t'nn;iv. ami 10 j ii:l\V ,1' J -'ill!! I' | .If .i i» lll:U jlic tiTUls WcVC I 'linai- 1! ! i)iu ili 1 1 fdiiiit rv alii! ii:»t \un>: I 1 mhi!. \h. MH/mh an.l iiiVM'ir. j afl.T ••ii-iiiia fi'iii'ici 11 year- 1 ' "ii ih" h.Mnl lining <>nr iitmn-i tor tin- ! I.i I ••]..>'.ei-.. and. I;t I er. Willi Mr. Hi,,.'. m i~ I , ;! I l.i.i go! every! liing ilia; we >nfi! enncoivc possible ii! ! lie inter e-ts nf ill,' 1a 1 epa Vers. aeroed In and embodied in 1 lie liill, We who know

tlie woakne-- ol (lie ratepavers' pOsilioli I lai roll c ll 1 V know wh.ll ]|;|s to lie guill'deil mill lire (isflf'il that by lllis liill We live going (~ | )M j |],,, ~r,j 0 . payers in ;i 11 immensely superior posi'ion. And now you who take Mr. McLean > place. right after a large majority of 1 he meet ing> favored ihe Hill, t Iloug h von have on 1 v l„,cll oil (lie Hoard a few months are lining yoiir utmost !o destroy till' re-lilt of our work. Vol by pulling forward something supposed to he better. or. ill faet. not putting anything. lint simply trying to wreck it. No wonder your' at I iln.le scenis |o me inconceivable. (■:. MA.WVIiU,. fn fare of the above. Mr. Mary strove virtually ''tooth an.l nail." to hoodwink tlie ratepayer-, iiy tolling them from the I pill,lie platform ami through t.he T'vcs* j that | We <piote from his ]<■ t tvr |o I he j 'l.ii-er.i Sl.tr t.'ist, week) -- | [ ''We will hii'i.. not. ||io --verl.i-1 ov; [ '•otinii animal i.ilr. 1.111 a late of 'Jfiiilm I winns CHi.'iH (hind I'ncd revenue! ol,i< ; i | K i r cent. for sinki'tg fund. 'an- | proximately a- maslmuw nto of one-

eleventh, of a penny, or, on from £25 to £3O per acre valuation, a maximum of £1 per hundred acres." Mr. Marx knew ill Ihe time lie gave utterance, to the above assertion that the £-1650 Land Fund revenue could not lie relied upon at all, and that the liability ot the southern ratepayers, should the Bill fail, would he £3300, ami this, it has to lie marked, for ALL TIME, as against almost certain, if not certain, freedom from rates in the event nf the present Bill, designed, as mint lie seen by anyone not blind to factn, for the boiiclil of country ratepayers, being carried.