THE ISLAND BLOCK. (To the Editor of the Tuapeka Times).

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 100, 8 January 1870, Page 6

THE ISLAND BLOCK. (To the Editor of the Tuapeka Times).

Sir, — There appeared in the columns of your paper of the 11th inst. a letter signed " Cosmopolite," professing to give the views of a "sensible minority" in this district in respect to the recent sale of the Island Block. This blatent letter is couched in such terms as take away all claim of the writer to be considered either sensible or indeed compos mentis. As to his being in a minority, none acquainted with the district can for a moment doubt ; and I believe if the number composing that minority was set down as three, no one here would have the slightest difficulty in naming the enlightened gentlemen composing the trio. Amongst them would doubtless be found " Cosmopolite," although he may fancy his ridiculously ill-chosen norn de plume sufficiently disgraces him. That "Cosmopolite is a student and admirer of the doctrines of Malthus and Harriet Marteneau is sufficiently obvious ; and it is equally plain that in applying the now well-nigh exploded doctrines of those writers to the case of a new country, situated like New Zealand, he exposes an amount of ignorance of the first principles of colonization, only equalled by the inappropriate and incoherent Latin dictionary quotations with which his epistle is garnished. There is a general opinion that the state of affairs, so graphically and f eSlingly dedicted as being the case of Ireland in the last generation, and predicted to be the condition of Otago if the leasing regulations continue in operation, is one with which " Cosmopolite " himself has had practical acquaintance, but in another

country than Ireland. There is, after all, only one statement in " Cosmopolite's " letter (abounding as it is in grammatical and other errors} deserving of reply, and that is, that " the Island Block is to be thoroughly worked for gold by a wealthy company." To this lamin a position to give a positive denial, for this reason : that the people who are now on the Island have had leases of four years given them of their respective holdings. I Buspecfc the " extensive hotel " alluded to as another evidence of the prosperity of the district consequent on the sale of the Island, has its foundation in the depths of "Cosmopolite's" "inner consciousness," where I fear it is likely to remain. I had expected that an abler pen than mine would have taken up the question before now, but I believe the feeling of the district (although not shared in by the undersigned) is that rodomontade such as that referred to would have been best left unanswered. Of one thing I can assure " Cosmopolite," if he would be kind enough to furnish us with his name, we would, in exchange for the courtesy, advance Mm such convincing arguments as would very likely make him revoke his ill- j v dged and pedantic opinions. In fact, to make use of as good a Latin quotation as some of those with which we have been favoured, the argumenbum cum flexors et extensors might be resorted to, although, as you are aware, Mr. Editor, it is very wrong, in some cases it is exceedingly salutary and even necessary. — I am, &c, Anti-Maxthus. Roxburgh, 29th Dec, 1869.