LETTER TO THE EDITOR.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 5, Issue 270, 28 November 1861, Page 3

LETTER TO THE EDITOR.

1861.; : 3 Sir, —I saw in yoUr Euitkv'eiikrsip'aper a notice* to the effect, that .tk& 'lsrry rates-ate likely ta r . be increased ; for what purpose I do .not know.’ iYou; speak -of 'itpproii'cbea, i jetties, sfefo£Vt;lief better convenience of transit, and ..such like. Well, that is all very well; no doubt they ought to be made; or 'tather{ ought'to have been” made long ago. But in justice to the settlers on the left bank of the.river, .1 must call it nothing less thaxi imposition to make ..the settlers pay for them "in the shape of an augmented rate. When M r - North over took the ferry, &c. We.were led to .understand;'from tli 'i Qhron-lcle. that the rent was to be paid monthly. If’it' had been, there would have been no lack of ways and means to make the required works. ;Bht tbl<l; that the Beiicli of "Magistrates, who superintended the lettingtif the ferry, forgot to ask Mr. Northover to sign F any papers or deeds,* Sc. as security for'fiiliilment of contract —and so, I suppose, they had to whistle for the money. If the magistrates ire'in legal possession of power to let, they are also liable to the public for the due payment of the" ferry tolls. ; It is pathes eurip.tts'tliat men .who, in their , con-. cerns of fife, would not lend a'fivepound notS'wdtlrout receiving an acknowledg-- . msni, should. be- : . so.,f.orgetful as ; to lend money wi bhoiifc ‘ ‘ aiiy ” guarantee for its repayment. Nevertheless, because they have chosen to do so, ft. does not follow that’the settlers afe to be at the loss. It is the Superintendent’s place to make those gentlemen, wlio have by ’’their carelessness, &e. lost-the money, ‘ ‘ fork it out,” and not stand by and see our money flung away. A neighbour of mine has been ’trying to persuade me, that his Honor refrained from ymoying'in the'matter, because he ".might .perhaps hurt their feelings,-and thereby lose some of his political supporters. I, however, scorn, such improbable and base insinuations, and be-' lieve I attribute his silence on the matter to the' right cause, —namely, that they being the very best of his supporters in polities, and Wanganui being the very, hotbed. of Featherstonism, he would be ashamed to let the other settlements see what a pitiable lot they are. However, that is neither here nor there ; some one must be made to find; the'-momey without having recourse to such an obnoxious measure as that of; increasing the ferry rates, however slightly. ' . • ’• ••• ■ (k-o. a. -.... ’• . ..LsftJßank.

• ; Waugafini, :22nd. Nov. 1862. - Sir —l have observed from time, to time in your, journal notices of Lectures on various-in-teresting and impoxtapt literary and scientific subjects delivered’before Literary Associations at Itangitikei and Turakina. I beg to ask you, sii% is there such a society in this place ? Since I came here, I have seen no sign of the exist-. ence of any -literary.’-spirit' among us-at all. There is, indeed, Mr. Jones’s Book club;— which is a most excellent thing, and which I hope is patronised as it ought to be ; but except that and your journal—which however is political rather than literary—l have discovered no sign of intellectual activity in Wanganui .whatever. Why is this ? Is it because we are all. too learned to be improvable by such an institution as a Literary- society, or is it because we are all too ignorant to he able to set about its establishment ? I caiinot believe the latter, for from my own observation educated persons form a far larger proportion of the society here, than in any ,English .town of tile same size I have ever be'en in. ! The former supposifion may be true ; hut there is one illustrious exception, and that is myself,—who am now too old to go to school, who find it dull work to sit at.home and read a book of science, ivho find it wearisome and expensive work to spend my spare time.in the parlour of any of the hotels, well and comfortably conducted as they are, and who would be glad of any resort where occasional amusement, and instruction might be combined. If there are any persons like myself, ignorant, or desiring such a relief from ennui, 1 should feel greatly obliged, Mr. Editor, if you would permit them to leave at your office letters addressed to me.' I would call them together, and'',we could haye a consultation on the matter, and probably mailagevto' come out as usefully; if not as brilliantly, as our Rangitikei brethren. - • ■.-.... /"'• > : " . New Comer.

[lt will give lis r much pleasure to receive any such' communications, ahd hand them to our correspondent/] '