"PLEASE READ THIS."

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 570, 15 January 1876, Page 2

" PLEASE READ THIS."

Sensational writings and tramped up aceu actions against the Government and tneir supporters- Grey canards and other tit bits of scandal are coming, we are glad to see, to ite lugs eagerly devoured by the Auckland •uob than they were, for the mob's organ, i he "Star," is now obliged to head sucli irticles, as quack doctors of a certain class io their advertisement*, with the word.* " Please read this." There is it seems evei ■m excess of lying at which the gorge of tin (irey mob of Auckland will tarn, and y oi'ci mes necessary to coax them to get theai i second time to tho trough of the '* Star." lo such a resort it that journal driv- n n> .1$ iitkue of the 11th lDtunt, toootain reader for «• l«(t«raoe&t tbo Piako tiwampaalo. Wu

had thcjuglit tlmt the infinity of the party had beea taxed to^the utioost in the manurao^Vire' of fresh and the utteranc^'of false statements altogether, vrith re-tpeot to the purchase of this land, but iv s"bdih that they have " struck oil "in a n< w diroctiou. Titus Oatos — we beg pardon, •' Piako " — coffljs to the rescue, and in an anonymous letter t» the " s tar " states how he \r 's prt'panni to have given £20 000 more than 'Jif amount p,ud by the present owners of th^ land. Here is tho letter, "Ple»se road" it:

O.HK PI\KO SWAMP SALB — A CLBA» LOSB OF £20,000. Siu,— TTiero appuns to bo some doubt in the public mind as to whether any uctual loss to the land revenue was sustain* 1 by the surreptitious .iheiution ot the Piako swamp. On tins point 1 now veotuie to addres* you. In the beginning of tlic ycxr 1873 I made enqu'mos about the swamp, which, re-ulted in a determination to eii'les rour to ucqui c it. T found that no sale ot public l.uils could lepally be uiade without a suivev ami public auction. I enured infr> nejioei.itions (in Febiuaiy, 1873), with other parties in England, fm the purpose of fanning an association to purchase, rec aim, and «<tte tins lan! I lnforme I riy friondt thit it could nor. bo got fur less than five shillings per acre, and 1 was prepiral to recommend Riving seven shillings a id sixpence rather than lose it. While my iiei>oc<ationa were still pending, 1 found to my astonishment that the sw.imp bad bici secretly dispoied of. Feeing safe in the u rLiinty that if any o her p3rson9 weru in the u aiUtt they w(ju!d h.vve to compete with, me at aiu tiou, I never thought of making my intentions known m the propfr quar er until my ar langemer.is sliou'd be completed ; but if, before this w.ts done, the land had been auctioned in the usual manner, I wonld havo giv«n £2J,000 cash for it, taking the risk myaelf of afterwards forming the reclamation nssomation. It n clear, then, that a loss of £10,000 is capable of pi oof, and a fuither probab c loss of £10,000 mote, as in open competition the gentlemen who uot the sw.imp for 2s fid per acre, would most liWelj h ive uu<le me pay the 7o 6d I was prepared to go to. We ar<- so accustomed now to talk of public money in sums of eight figures, that a loss of £20 000 seems a tiiflmg mutter; and if that was all, and no principle wm inTolved, it might not assumo so much importance, but bethis actual lo*s and fie grave brench of law, u vpry 1 u'tje loss was nvide in the prospeciire value of the land, which, if retained until the ( oinpletmn of thn railway, would huvo betn worth ut least £'100 000 Not wishing to be mixed up in any" political disputes, I lmve' not hitherto made my individual gnevmce in the ahure mattor known, and I only do so now out of a sense of fiirnnss to thosa who fighting againat a powerful clique for thu redress of great wronns mil cted on this part of the colony, are enivledto all tho support and sympathy of the people. I enclose my asldivs, and will at some futon* time, \i the interests of the public roq'tiro it, coma lorward and verify tbe above sUteniout. — I am, ifcc, PIAKO

Auckland, January 10, 1876. It is very easy for "Pinko" to come forward now and say what he was prepared to give. Whilst he was about it he nuuht just as well have made it £30 OX) as £20,000, aud the public cou d have tak.-n that on faith just as easily as they could the statement that he was an intending purchaser a'- all. No doubt, however, the latter sum was fixed upon after mature deliberation by Sir George Grey's Central Commit Ire, and when the draft of the letter receive I its final certificate — '' Approved, J. M. Snera. chairman," the sum ot £20,000 was considered to be the largest amount that this ingonioaa new engine of political chicanery to be launched in the columns of the " Mar " would carry.