TE RORE BRIDGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1338, 27 January 1881, Page 3

TE RORE BRIDGE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — In Saturday's paper, speaking about Mr McMinn's letter in the same paper, you say you were not aware there waß a change in the wishes of the people. Now, sir, there is no change. The large majority — three to one — are still of the same opinion, that is, than the bridge ought to be at the ferry site. What are the real circumstances of the case ? I will give you them, and I will take care to speak nothing but the strict truth. I am well aware one can speak so as to misrepresent and mislead, and still, strictly speaking, not be telling an untruth. This I will also avoid. Six or eight months ago, a meeting was held here to consider the bost site for the bridge. The meetiDg whs attended by every ratepayer in the diotiict except two elderly gentlemen who were of dift'orent opinions on the subject. These two, to save themselves the journey, agieed to pair, and both stayed at home, which came to the same purpose as if they had both attended. Twenty attended the meeting, that is, the whole of the distiict with the exceptions mentioned. Now, Sir, what wore the wishes of the meeting ; five were in favour of the lower j site, and h'ftcen for the upper orfeny ) site, and in the face of this Mr McMinn has the daring to say that the majority of the people are for the lower site. How can you account for this ? It can only be as the tjiree tailors of Tooley-strect, say, "We the people of Jjjugland," and believed they were so. MrMcMnmmust also believe that he is the majority, in fact, he must suppose that 1 he, singly, counts for twelve ; winch, along with the other four who voted with him, would make sixteen, and this, of course, would be a majority. Since the land was confiscated it was always intended that the bridge was to be at the ferry site. Roads were made and houses built upon that understanding, and now this is all to be overturned. Mr McMinn cannot deny that it was always intended to have the bridge at the ferry. If he does how did he, as chairman of the Road Board, employ an engineer to take surveys and give an estimate of the bridge at the ferry site. Mr McMinn takes care not to mention this. <4 0 1 Consistency, ttiou art a jewel above all price. " The reson thr majority at the meeting voted for the ferry site, was, that it was the proper road to Alexandra a very proper reason to. This was not my reason for doing so. I ana peisonally indifferent where the bridge is. My reason for voting for tho ferry site was that tho removal of it to another place never intended, was that the thing itself was a dodge. Two men were going to do themselves a good thing by doing two other men a great injury. This won't stand argument, if two men are going to benefit themselves at the expense of the other two. There must be justj ust and public grounds for doing so, which in this case, was the very leverse ; and also, if there were just grounds, Avhich there were not, there must be compensation for the injury. This is a thing they could not conceive. It lequircs a certain amount of honesty to conceive this. Mr McMinn says that the bridgo is to be at the ferry, upon the supposition of vested lights in Te Rore. I have never heard the words ' ' vestedrights" at To Rore. Mr McMinn created this to f lighten the Alexandra people with a township at Te Rore. There is as much chance of a town in Te 1 Rore as theic is here in Harapepe, which has been a town for 18 years, and has now a population of three bachelors, of which I am one, and when we three die, the population will be nil. The mementoes we will leave behind us will be an immence amount of gorse and a few gum tiees. Mr McMimi sayt» if the Raglan and WaipaCountyC'ouncils v\ ere consulted, that they are in favor of tho lower site. Now, I have no doubt if Mr McMinn was going ovei to R iglau he would get them to Mgu foi the lower .sight; but it is equally tine, if any other person was to co over mid ask them to sign for the qther they would do so. "What do they caie ; and what does it matter to them ? As for the Waipa Council, the other day, I believe tho very day Mr MoMinn was wilting his letter, there was a petition signed man hour or two on the Waipa Hide by fifty, and in another hour by ten on the other sid ; if wanted another fifty could ?nd would have signed it for the bite not to be removed. Will Mr McMinu get fifty or a hundred to sitjn that it should be removed? In fact, the other side of the liver has very little to sir in the matter ; they don't want nor need to get into us ; we want to get into them. Bebide, we gave £1200 towaids the bridge. Mr McMinn throws a sneer at a generous Goveinn ent. What dos tbis poi tend? Is there going to be another grand case of conscience identically the same as last. " Man, proud man, di esscd in a little brief authority plays such fantastic tricks before high Heaven as makes the angles weep." — I am, &c, Robert Neil. Harapepe, 24th January, 1881. P.S.— The latest reason I have heard Mr McMinn gave for the removal of the site is, that the people could oart their goods from the railway, and do away with the steamer. He has an ill-will to the steamer. There are people living in tho district that if there was no steamer they might as well be living in KaniBkatcha. — R.N.

The Linden tree is reoommecled for moist lands. Leached ashes will loosen, not harden, clay soils and the application is very benefloal. Mb Bbassey, M.P., ox Ibeland. — Mr Brassey, M.P., speaking at a civic banquet at Hastinge last night, stated that he had paid two visits to Ireland — one to his tenants in the north, and the other in his official capacity to Queenstown. His tenants, who were Scotch Presbyterians had created no disturbances, and they were of such a character that it was a pleasure to deal with them ; but when he inquired into the condition of their labourers, it was by no means, satisfactory. Many laborers had from 7s to 9s per week, lived in revolting hovels, and never had the luxury of butcher's meat. Under such conditions there was inflammable material which oould easily be fanned into dissaffeotion. He ventured to suggest as a remedy that unless new industries were created, Ireland should part with a certain portion of her population. It was, however, idle a^id , impossible to propose legislation until order had been restored. .Authority should ,be vindicated, and if the Goveranien^ ftylad in theirduty in #»ajj peapfcct jihey. forfeit, and ju^ly, forfeit, 'their, glaums, to tfte QQntfcte^qe <$ *lw country.