The Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1883. THE TEMUKA ROAD BOARD'S OVERSEER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1182, 6 December 1883, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1883. THE TEMUKA ROAD BOARD'S OVERSEER.

We direct attention to the letter from Mr Twomey read at the Temuka Road Board meeting last Tuesday. It will be found in the report of the meet ing published in another column. We do not wish to appear exultant at the result, but there are a few points connected with it to which we desirs to draw the attention of our readers. The Overseer to the Board charged Mr Twomey last Board day with having falsified, the report of the previous meeting for the purpose of injuring him. It will be remembered that we answered the charge then as far as things were made public, but we did not touch anything that had not come out in public discussion. We have certainly had a great temptation to do so. We were falsely accused, and the Overseer said that it was all owing to something Mr Twomey had done which he could not allow. We could have explained the whole affair then, when replying to the Overseer; to have done so would have been quite legitimate and proper. But we did not. We thought it fair to the Overseer not to publish such charges as we had to make against him until they had come before the Board, and he had an opportunity of defending himself. We determined that before putting our charges against him in print we would give the Overseer an opportunity of explaining; the matter, so that both accusation and explanation could go side by side before the public. To carry out that Mr Twomey had to lie under the suspicion of having misconducted himself in a manner the Overseer could not allow, but we preferred that he

should thus bear the obloquy than that it could be said the Overseer had not been fairly dealt with. Wo would not have another word to say on the subject only that the Overseer said that Mr Twaraey would find it to his interest to keep friends with himself. Mr Pwomey never did anything that ought to have forfeited to him the Overseer’s friendship, but now that he has lost it he is not anxious to regain it. He never lost a friend Without feelings' of regret, except the Overseer, hut somehow losing him has not at all impaired his appetite/ We could say a good, deal more, but must restrain our impulse to do so, in consideration of the Overseer having his ; hands full just now. Had he not been circumstanced as he is, and did it hot appear to us that it would look like throwing water on a drowning rat, we would have a good deal more to say. Bid let him be. We have to thank'the members of the Eoad Board for their courtesy, and above all Mr Talbot, It is only just a month since we criticised Mr Talbot severely, but no trace of its effects could be noticed in his manner of dealing with oar case. It shows that Mr Talbot has a soul above petty spite, and that he will not let personal considerations interfere with his sense of justice; We have criticised Mr Talbot’s actions, we shall do so again if necessary, because it is our duty. But we shall always try to do him justice as he certainly has done to us. To say more on this head would be superfluous. His character for uprightness, honesty, and publicspiritedness is well known. We are sure that his mistakes ore of the head and not the heart, and it may be that he will yet see his, way to agree with us on the only point on which we have differed from him.