VALUERS TO THE BOARD.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 21, 15 January 1879, Page 3

VALUERS TO THE BOARD.

TO THE EDITOR, Slß,— perhaps soriie of the residents {a the Manawatu Pis. trie}; may think I am actuated by personal uio.ii.ves, when I say that I am not a little surprised at the manner m which the vnluers have just been appointed by the Ciiairman of the Manawatu Highway Board. Having, had, as tbp general public knows, a, lengthened connection with the Board. jn the capacity of its public, servant, I pan say, wtihout fear of contradiction, that it has been the usual custom to call tenders for valuing the district aunu? ally. Such has not* been done tliis year, the excuse given being that there was Hot sufficient time, but the time has now .been- extended m order to uuit those who have been appointed by the Chai.ruiau previous to the meeting of the Board. Jf the time had been extended and pubjie tenders invitrd, I think the Board . irould have 6tood a f air chance of gt.it» "ting quite as correct a vaiutition'as tliey are likely to get from the hands of two strangers]. to the piope ty .ab.ouCtq'be valued by them, The CJiairmari, while making the private appointment might have intimated without any ioss o.f--dig-nity to himself that the services of the Undersigned had been dispensed with by .the Board over which he has the honor to preside.— l am, <^c, "" James Litton,

TO TRE SDJTOB, Si*,— ln your issue of last Saturday Tou gave a report of the meeting of the Manawatu Road B..oard, m which there appeared to. liave heen a dijßcu>sjon about the strange — and what scenis to outsiders, irregular— appointi.neiit of two of the Chairman's friends- as valuers for the present year. Judging from the Chairman's remarks, he seemed to be under the impression that he had acted m a.n irregul.ir manner m appointing valuers without iQ.isiii ii.g bis i'olieagues, hut he iinmudiau-ly glossed that part of the proceedings over by coolly laying, 4 The shortness of. thir time and the fact ihat^ the holidays might mak.e it inipossible fiur othVr assistance to be obtaimd," When brought to the question by Warden McEweo ahout rftiling a, special meeting for the purpose, of ' appointing Taluera, and asking if the" services of Mr. Lipton Ba.d been <Jisj;ensed witli, he quietly Bays that this is a new Board. Thia was, no doubt, true, It is a new. Board, and apparently, under hi« Chairmanship, quite capr bit- of doing things that any previous Board wvuld. 4»re felt ashamed of, Asa ratepnyer scf-this district, I for &rie hare admired th» open and fair manner m which all public matters; have been disposed of I»y the Manawatu ltoad.Boailds m th> past. b«t now j fear thqt ujnd^r the leadership of ifr. Dalrymple tUose times. bare gone by, if this httu* job is a fair; -of- his high-hanried :de«linj(sC If the . tiitie. as he say.< was jkq sho^f; find a pressure, brought upon the Boarrl by thit means, \sho wgs'mosj fitted lo.m^k^ jthfe iTaJuAlio'n .undeir the ci'-rt»tti, Stances who -has v ihird t ie j •s*&*'s .fofltiUQiXfyk ifc?&eat \ or ti'q -H»w minwh^have^ not seen , >j»e»ten h part of "tne> property they are* about to Talue^men who are exclusive! Palmar--afoii residents, and and uf thJin a new ehnm, the other the town cler-k of the Board, 1.4 mof -qpinidn; Sir; ihat thy*. Old miner, Mr, Linton, was the proper person to have been asked to do the vorfcand.J^iu quite, sure I won.l : be. backed up mi that opinion b,y a very 'W nia|ority of-tbe ra.tvpayers m the" Alatinwato. He was a m'wl and trusty flfrrant of the J^ard for a nu ml.fr of years, and through hks jp.d i;.--.'.ry n'ti.}-jp-nera! tact, helped m a jfna' t .u;ixiiiv |i»- bring ■iifceKß- along witli th- <v<pwi^ twns of tlie. iloarii, oven thi* \^i dis. trict, a»d preserved ' most saitytmitc^y reUfioi»s hetweeti thftfc body, and thY onjaule ■publiti.. How is it that tinpb«frmnn did not think, of hi,,, if he -,w.is . prepaivd to lui.ieit.iii,'; •!,;> vprVj insteatl". of. '.flyiiiy; to i.n,- . j\<. p. . .-, jwrn-for.-refuge'P q{- what \xc.k\A kn-. •MU ***** b>tt«r,.'wuy md W not do ac

previous Boards have done, call tenders tor the work, and give it to the best man? He could have got over the little difficulty by extending the time, as he has now done to suit his friends. Mr, Dalrymple likes sometimes to hold his Foxtuu friends up to ridimle, as he h;»s done lately at a public meeting, but it appears that he is not much better liiau his neighbors when it suits him to play a game. In my opinion, one of i he most important functions under the Board is the appointment of competent |;orsons to make an annual valuation of I the district, and that oljire should not be carelessly thrown to any one who may just happen to be wuder the benign >iuile of the Chairman for the time being. In writing as 1 h«ve now don.-, I am simply expressing the views of a Urge number of interested parties m this district, and trust that it will have liie effect of putting a stop to what may become a great public abuse, otherwise it will no doubt lead to the breaking up of what has always lioen looked upon as a usefu} public body, namely, the Manawatu Highways Borir.fi If Messrs Hoe. and Keeling are shell important persons m Pa'linerston, it does not follow that their importance extends as far as the boundaries of the Manawatu Road Board district, nor are they m any way acquainted with the value or position of any of our properties, and forsooth are deputed to come and place a value tjpon our lands. It tnay be justly inferred that all their information will be industriously cribbed from the valuation polls prepared by fhejr predecessor m oflji?e. However, we shall expect a risit fcom them m due time, when some of us may have a little more to say ippn,— l aju, <fee, A lUtepayeb, Fo*tqn, January 14,