CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1515, 22 October 1883, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

(TO THE EDITOR.)

Sir, —I read in your paper of Friday last ft letter signed "Admirer" throwing out several suggestions with reference to. myself and another. As regards myself and what good I may have done in my day, I would say to your correspondent: "Go thou and do likewise f, and further, I would inform himthat.if- his real name had been put to his letter, I would have presented him withi/a. 'beautiful design for a monument..with a fitting inscription, to be utilised on his behalf by his survivors'<by being placed over his bed of six by- two when he will-have ceased to be an " admirer." It might then be said of him as of many before him, Ek Jacet, I am, (fee, '''■ Thomas William Shute..

THE NORTH WAIRARAPA SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION. (to the editor,) Sir, —I attended the last public meeting of the above-named. Association, with a sincere hope that Mr Hawkins would make good his promise to prove that his action is not open to suspicion, and I regret to say that his explanation is far from satisfactory. In the first place he has set up a standard of political morality never hitherto attained in this colony, by which he measures the actions and aims of his opponents, and in a flood of eloquent declamation, hides'for the moment from the viow of his'auditora the fact that were he measured by his own standard, he would be found to be quite as great a culprit as those whom, he has so unmercifully condemned. His explanation of how'the road to'his property has to be made at the exponse of the County ratepayers gener. ally, is. a case in point,' He admits that he never applied to have that road placed on the and assuming that Mr Hawkins; is a gentleman of ordinary, intelligence, one must conclude'that he did'not apply because he' knew it was one that might not be My. placed there. Now, I would nave appreciated Mr. Hawkins moroi

had he "turned and publiclyprotested ;;•''; against .the action of .the Government;.'"•■■ in placing his road on the schedule, . ; that would have been giving weight to ; his precepts by example, but instead • of doing this Mr Hawins lamely ?&' , cuses himself by saying'he7«w S««J [told that the road is ah important one,\ ,• and further on he says ineffect !',if that V not sufficient thjjjnjou must blame ..Messrs Boethanmnd Buchanan;-nqt.mej" but ldo%me Mr Hawkins because as-I itit o'.-shewn ~ he has been guiltyof the'sin of omission., ;: if not of commission,' and, in .one who ■ affects' to l sit-so high on the pedestal of political chastity, the one- aut is aa ••• great as the other.. Another instance of the appropriation ; of the ratepayers . money for Mi- Hawlrins special -benefit : < is thatof some : th||(iad'';: Board, How thS-sum <Mm9\toVbe appropriated only the iniHatEMft. Some of the members who atlM&t, the meeting of the Board at,*i||{t ' . i 3 said to have been voted say 'that ,it was not voted at strangely enough thete is no !recor<i of .--. it in the minutes of any .meeting" of the ' Board, yet for .. all that Mr \ Hawkini gets the money for his road. : Now, with regard to the' su|ension' : of the county, and-the abolition,oljhe general county rate,' why ; ;d}d ,U Mr Hawkins not point oiifc to. thVOpaki-r:. settlers six months ago that they are" ; ; unfairly rated for their. iaSH, and not have waited till the present time to do so ] Would he over have done so'u this .question of county suspension had not ■ cropped up t Does it not appear'ias if' Mr Hawkins publicly called attention to this matter only when there was a danger of the County Act being sug-: pended, on the. principle that'tb>a' • hungry man half.a loaf is'better than. no bread 1

I will reserve my criticism on Mr* Hawkins' criticism of the general'. policy of the present administration, and confine myself to social .'matters/ The inauguration of the Settlers' Association has been conducted in'a manner which dora not redound toMrHawy-

kins credit for ability as an administrator, andthe compamon is remarkable when we compare his incisive criticism on the administration, of .othersVwith the manner in which iieklconduoted the business of the association.-' At the. preliminary meeting held at the Institute Mr Hawkins had everything pretty well his own-way—that-.was only fair to him as the initiator of the association: he was elected President, and I think he might fairly have been contented with that without trying to foist his o,wn nominee on the association as Vice-President. MrMeredili was unanimously elected Vice-Presi-dent, and is still as legally Vice-Presi-dent, as Mr Hawkins is President.

However, .the latter gentleman has takon upon himself to say that Mr Meredith is unsuitable for the office, and ignores the appointment. By hi| action in this matter Mr Hawkins has become the self-constituted dictator to the association, and then ho coolly turns round and tells us at the public meeting that-he has initiated the a'&iation because he wants'its- tdMink. Now, I would ask what is it our thinking if Mr our thoughts whenever wo give them practical effect? If this an.jllustrafcionof how the "is to be conducted it will not require a prophet to foretell its speedy death. Assuming, however, that the interference was ill-considered, and that the spirit of autocracy exhibited upon that occasion is not likely to be displayed again, I. will pass on to the. manner in which Mr Hawkins has given effect to tho instructions of the- Association in

reference to tho election of delegates. Instead of following the usual and

common-Bense method of nominating delegates before-hand, Mr Hawkins has sent round a list of the natacs of members, and invited us to select fifteen of any of the names re those, and as no one' knows who the others are voting for it is impossible for the majority of raembersto make a united and intelligent selection, and the effect will.be that any small but united body of Mr Hawkins' personal followers will be able to return his; nomineW.without the least difficulty.. Should this really happen the life of the Association will indeed be a brief one. The most' ititel-

ligent course to haye adopted.would have been to appoint officers provisionally, until tho South Wairarapa had had an opportunity of. joining, and then made a permanent.seledtion after nominations had been, made; but to suppose that South Wairarapa will join an Association officered entirely by the North cannot be considered .otherwise than as a grp joke,.which will be _ fully. appreciated in tho district which it effects. .-■■.* .. 'ln another, letter I will deal 'with the speech delivored.by Mr Jlawkins at thepublic meeting.... . ":„'• Mentor./.

MASTERTON SCHOOL;. ,; To THE EmtOß; Sir,—Your report of Mr LeeV remarks re Fifth Standard Arithmetic is a little misleading. In remarking upon that subject the Inspeotor. stated that the arithmetio : of the Fifth Standard was strong, in fact so strong that had it not been for one sum which required a' knowledge of the chajn measure, the whole paper would havo beet cleared by the class: as .it was almost the whole of the candidates had four out; of the five sumi right. By making this correction you Jml oblige, ':.-•'■ Yours (ke,, Wm, Thos. Grundy, Head Master,