CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1473, 3 September 1883, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

(to the mm,) Sir,-So muoh has been wrlttonon the subject of suspending "the County Council that your subscribers must be somewhat tired of the topio, still I must crave space in your paper for some remarks in reply, to a sub-leader in the Wairarapa Star of the 24th inst., respecting the means that were used to induce settlers to vote againßt " suspension" at Tinui, Your contemporary, in writing of what he calls tho "glorious triumph" there, says; "What are the tactics employed 1. What sort of representations have been' made to induce the Tinui people to vote against suspension 1 We have made enquiries among some of those people who voted at Tinui, and it is well that settlors should know the facts. The Tinui people, we find, have been told that the settlers in the Masterton Road District have plenty of good roads, and consequently don't want either rates or improvements; and that tho County Council must he supported, in order that it may be enabled to raise rates in the Masterton district for expenditure on the Tinui roads. These are the arguments used, and we do not wonder that, with people who: are isolated among tracks of mud they should prove irresistable." Truly the Star is highly complimentary to the Bottlers of Tinui—or I may say Castlepoint district, for the meeting was a representative one. Because people are isolated by tracks of mud they must therefore be dishonest enough to take money belonging to other districts. Such i's the logical deduction to be drawn from your contemporary's remarks. I have heard that the. throwers of mud are sometimes defiled: by some of it sticking to their own fingers; but it is quite a new departure that isolation bymuddy roads should make Bottlers covet and take their neighbors'money. I challenge the Star, together with its informant or informants, to prove the truth of what has been asserted respecting the,means used for obtaining votes. Speaking on 'behalf of myßelf and other representative men of this district, I say such a charge is utterly false, for no such arguments have been resorted to to procure .votes or bias anyone's opinion. Time after time opponents of County taxation have iterated and reiterated the statement that Masterton rates would be spent in other districts, and time after time—at the Council meeting on 12th July, at the suspension meeting at Masterton, and again at Tinui—has denial been given. What the people of the Castlepoint district want are good roads, but they do not desire them at the expense of tbeir fellow settlers in. Masterton. We, as a means of obtaining these roads desire to got back some of our money (paid in taxes to the general revenue of the colony) by taking advantage of the £3 for XI

offered by the Government to construct the main lines of road, and for this we are determined to strive. The following '.statement (which 1 think has not been; published before) shows how the County. Council, purposes to apportion the expenditure of the rate throughout the County, and also the instalments receivable from grants under the Roads and' Bridges Construction Act, and will' shew clearly to ratepayers, who understand anything of the road requirements and liabilities for roads and ; works already constructed in the several Ridings, that there is no attempt to expend rates unfairly : MASTEKTON TO WAIHATA MAD. Application Roads and Bridges Construction Act, £3576 9s id. Granted |, £3216 3s 7d. Liability of County J,£B(M Os lOd. Yearly instalment, £BO 8s Catttepoint Siding. £ s D Instalments 40 8 1 Interest on Loan.. .. .. 105 0 0 Maintenance .. .. .. 700 0 8 Incidental and office expenses.. 9710 0 94218 1 IPainuforu Riding, Instalments, No 4 Ward £l6, No, 6 Ward £8 ... .. 24 0 0 Interest on Loan, No 4 Ward ' £1710b,N06 Ward, £85.. 52 10 0 Maintenance, No 4 Ward £l5O No 6 Ward £25 .. .. 175 0 0 Office and Incidental, No 4 Ward £3O, No 6 Ward £ls 45 0 0 296 10 0 Matkrton Riding. Instalments 16 0 0 Interest unLoaa ~ ~ 1710 0 Mainteuance .. .. .. 125 9 0 Office and Incidental expenses.. 710 0 ..'■..', ■ 166 0 0 MAHTEBTON-BIDKFORl) HOAD. Application Roads and Bridges Construction Act. £716215s Id. Granted 8, £2608 0s Bd. Liability of Counoil J, £67110s 2d. Yearly instalment, £67 3s. Caitkpo'mt Riding. £ 8 D Instalments .... ~ .. 13 8 6 Maintenance 83 8 0 0616 6 MaskHon Riding, lußtalmeuts .. .. .. 53 14 fi Maintenance 195 0 0 ■ . 248 14 6 EKErAHONA-TINUI BOAD. Application undor Roads and' Bridges Construction Act, £9353 9s. Granted }, £360710 a lOd, Liability of County Council, £876,178 Bd. Yearly instalments, £8713 d fid. • AlMlon Riding, £ s D Instalments 43 16 10 Maintenance 139 4 0 188 0 10 Cashpoint Riding, Instalments . 43 16 11 Maintenance 139 4 0 £lB3 O 11 BATE AT {-D IN THE £, AND HABIIiITIKS OFRIDIKGB, CODNTYEABT. £ I. d. Cashpoint Hiding .. ~ 105711 6 Wainuioru „ ~ .. 43510 2 Masterton „ .. .. 960 15 II Alfredton „ .. ~ 45911 8 2902 9 2 (Mtptinl RidingLiabilitits, Masterton-Waimata Road .. 942 18 1 Maatertou-Bidoford „ .. 9616 6 . • Eketalinna-Tinui „ .. 183 Oil 1222 15 6 Amount raised by rate.. .. 1057 11 6 Deficiency .. .. 1(15 4 1 Wainuim RidingLiabilitiu. Masterton-Waimata Road, No 4 Ward 218 10 0 Masterton-Waimata lload, No 6 Ward 83 0 0 296 10 0 Amount raised by rate ~ 435 10.2 Credit ~ ~ ~ 139 0 2 Mfuterlon Riding liabilities. Masterton-Waimata Road ~ 168 0 0 . Mastorton-Bidaford ~ ~ 24814 6 Interest on £I2OO at 8%, offioe and overdraft ~ ~ 62 8 0 Offioe expenditure and Incidental ' .100 0 0 Sinking Fund for Overdraft 100 0 0 677 2 6 Amount raised by rate .. 950 15 11 Credit .. ' .. .. 273 13 5 Alftdlm Riding— Lhbilititt. Eketahuna-Tinui Road .. 183 010 Office and incidental exponsea 50 0 0 Interest on £I2OO at 8 %, Office and overdraft .. 3312 0 Sinking Fund for overdraft.. 25 0 0 291 12 10 Amount raised by rate ... 459 11 8 Credit .. .. .. 167 18 10

. Mr Hogg, in his Tenni speech, said "ho trusted those who were trying to sow jealousy between town and country would not succeed." Yet what do we find 1 A few days later tho samo gentleman (or perhaps more correctly speaking, the paper he represents) imputing motives that will arouse the very sentiments of jealousy he previously deplored. It is to be regretted that Mr Hogg, who no doubt is acting from purely disinterested motives in this suspensionagitation,Bhould through his paper allow insinuations which have no solid foundation in fact to go before the public, lam, tic, Thomas Mackay.