MR HAWKINS' SPEECH.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1734, 12 July 1884, Page 2

MR HAWKINS' SPEECH.

To the Editob, Sib,—l have read Mr Hawkins' great speech, and think he has outdone aU hid former exhibitions of spiteful and harrow minded egotism. There is great intelleotnal power in them, but not a trace of the large hearted magnanimity whioh could alone nt him to be a safe guide for his fellow settlers, The speech of Wednesday night is the expression of a distempered imagination, and of a mind embittered by disappointment. Nothing short of a world made to his own order could please him and as he cannot have that let me advise him to retire to hiß native hills and there sweeten his nature by a comtemplation of the many good things whioh he undoubtedly enjoys, There is very little excuse for the all round abuse levelled at the Government, and nothing oan excuse... his attack upon Major Atkiuson in connection with the in. junction to'" thrift." Thousands of the best men in the colony lament with Major Atkinson that a population of little more than half a million should spend three and a half millions, a sum more than twice what we pay for interest on our national debt, on tobacco find intoxicating liquors, to say nothing of the vast sums spent at race meetings. Every man with the instincts of a gentleman will resent the unfeeling and brutal slander involved in the coupling of Major Atkinson's injunction to. thrift with I'oulou'a dismissal of the thousands of dying and starving wretches that surrounded him to "go and eat grass." The two cases are wide as the poles asunder, Mr Ua?;kinß will need to become a much humbler and and healthier man before he oan be a safo and useful publio man in this or any other district. I am, dfeo., Blub Ribbon.

10 THE EDITOR, Sir,—The Council meets noxt Tuesday ovening, and will, I presume, discuss Ci Caselberg's motion re the fro inspectors, therefore Ishould like, with your permission, to point out an advantage that exists in the way the inspectors are at present appointed.* The brigade want two of their own members to fill tho positions because some of the men object to work under Mr Gapper (one of the JLuspeotora). Now, Sir, my argument is this: If both the Inspectors were members of the brigade they could not see the danger that txisted nor the best means of preventing a fire spreading as well as a man would who had no other duties to attend to and therefore I hold that it is nothing but right that an outsider, be it Mr Gapper or any other capable person matters not, should be iu that position, The bone of contention seems to be the outside Inspector giving orders direct to the men in the absenc« of the captain instead of to the next in command, who would then issue the orders to his men, If Mr Gapper has been in the habit of assuming control and ignoring the lieutenant or whoever has command in the abseuca o£ the captain he has been presume ing on his position, and should most decidedly bo stopped from so doing, Now, Sir, owing to your gentle hint re long letters I had better stop, otherwise I would have gone further into the subject, but if this short letter has the desired effect enough will have been said, I am, &c,, Quiz, •