CORRESPONDENCE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12645, 4 November 1905, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

RE NGAMATAPOURI NOTES

To the Editor.

Sir, —lAt the (ratepayers' meeting, sspoken of in tihese so-called notes, i)b is :made to appeal' that the Government -were to erect a telephone line and we <the ratepayers) were to pay for it by a :rat© struck over the Kiapa'ra riding. "Your reporter should 'have said: "It was -^proposed that a rat© ibe istrudk to guar-I-antee the Government against loss on telephone for (cay) four years " The ifollorwing statement is also incorrect: — "*' Mr Braithwaite went to prove that .-.£364 was wasted, for <whAon not one .-"farthing was1 received in return. The sC/ouneillor replied, " I admit it, genfcle--nuen —_» iMr Van Asch lias been (I ~4t!hink) on the Council nine years, and -itihe charges made toy Mr Braithwaite ■«df wasted money were spread over tibis -mine years. Some of the charges Mr ""Van Asch denied, some he explained and some ne frankly admitted. "Who, I (Should dike to know, from t»he ZPremier down to the surface man on TtHne road, could say that he iiad mot ran'ade any mistakes during nine years of «©ffice? So satisfied were t(he ratepayers -with Mr Van Aseh's explanation that at *he close of the meeting it "was propos~©d " That tttiis meeting wish to record =a vote of thanks and confidence in Mr "Van" Asoh for his services as Councillor the district." Slhis was carried unaniIMr Braifehwaite being present. _iAs Mr Van Asch is not an the district H tliink it only right that tlhe ratepay--*ers wtho -were not at the (meeting should 3)e made acquainted with the facts, as ~3fche report seemed calculated to mislead ta>hem.—l -am, etc., ANDREW SMITH, ♦dhiairman Kapara Riding ratepayers' meeting.

P.S.—The above meeting was held on -August 28th. Is it not strange that ■^rour reporter should have held over -*hese valuable and reliable notes for two 7«nonths, and just eleven days before the -■election of a Councillor for this riding are publieJhed ?