OFF THE SCENT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2058, 3 August 1885, Page 2

OFF THE SCENT.

Tiie anxiety displayed by our local contemporary to draw attention to any difference of opinion that may arise between the members of the district and ourselves, is as amusing as the efforts which it prompts are misdirected, We are not bound to agree with them, and have /"frequently expressed views that differ from theirs; but when we have done so, the lact has, tor some occult reason, escaped notice. On Saturday we were congratulated for •' having for once had the courage to condemn the conduct of the members for the Wairarapa," because we said that there could bo but one opinion in the district <is to the desirability of h portion of the Mangatainoke Block being granted as an endowment to the Wellington Harbor Board. Our contemporary was simply, misled by his biased friend, the Evening Post, as the following letter addressed to that journal by Mr Beetham will show " Sir, —I notice in your report of the proceedings of the deputation re Harbour Board endowments for the port o£ Wellington, that your reporter has missed the chief points of •my few remarks. I shall therefore be glad if you allow me through your columns to supply the omission, ]

cheerfully supported the application for endowments for Wellington, feeling strongly that such an important harbor ought not to lis placed in an interior position to other ports in the colony with respect to endowments, The question of an endowment being granted for Wellington from the latelyarranged purchase of the Mam-atai-rioke block caused me to speak on the subject, After drawing attention to Ihe apparent absurdity of tho Government taking some of the most valuable building sites in Wellington for the erection of more stores for telegraph materials, while sites could easily be obtained in less valuable localities, I drew attention to toe proposed rural endowment. I supported an endowment acMangatainoke,'but with this proviso, that, if granted,the administra. tion should be placed in such hands that .would ensure that the interests of settlement would be carefully considered, and that provision should be made, as is the case with the Waste Lands Board administration of the leasehold and deferred payment systems, that an equitable proporti m of the receipls should be paid to.the local bodies interested for the purpose of road-making; and, also, that if the system of cash sales should be partly adopted, that ai- proportion of .the receipts '■ under fctiat head should be paid to the local bodies. 'I have always taken such a decided stand against the system of granting endowments in rural districts, owing to the fact that the administration of such lands has hitherto operated injuriously to the true interest of settlement, that did I not qualify what I am reported to say, I might justly be a'coused of political inconsistency," We fail to see anything that should be condemned

in Mr Beetham's tuition, nor is- there any material difference between'bis views unj our own on the .subject;' ~i — We. publish elsewhere ' the speech delivered by Mr G. Beetham during the debate-on the Laud Bill at present before the House, and we comment it as worthy of careful perusal by those who intend to be present at the meeting which has been convened by Mr W. W; McCakdle for to-morrow evening, to considei his proposal foi opening Crown lands. • ( ■