MR. COLEMAN PHILLIPS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1674, 1 May 1884, Page 2

MR. COLEMAN PHILLIPS.

■■/: ; ..[TO THE^E'DITOR,].:; Sir,—May I ask space for a few sen.teiy;es of comment on Mr Coleman Phillips' letter in yqnpjssufeofthe 28th, in which he seems to hold me responsible .for;the present timber taviff oh-"'our' local'line of railway, First let me inform Mr Phillips (and this in itself is a complete, reply to his letter) that the. timber tariff is the same throughoritNew Zealand) and that >ifc is consequently ridiculous to.think that it was .framed in. the interest of one individualjior even M whose traffic is bilk l a iracfcibii : oi that of the whole colony. Also that the timber rates; have not bepn llowered since the line was opened, whereas on several other classes of goods'they have been more than, once very, considerably re-: dhced, and he is also iri T ferror in stating that timber rates have been left alone, the faet, being'that' on all distances under ii miles there;-is "a slight increase, While a speciarimposk is laid upon what he styles the illegitimate portion,of the trade, .viz., the,white pine exported from the colony, in which, by the way,, the majority of mills in the district are ; interested. When. I; have further informed hira

that the' Government did not think it necessary to consult me,qn the detail of tariff charges and that,the Gazette conveyed to me the first intimation of its increase, I think.l need not at present trouble; your •■ readers at any greater length; • ; , ; .■■.■■■ I.am, (feci,, 1 ' 'W. 0, Buchanan,