RURAL PARABLES AND PLEASANTRIES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7821, 14 June 1909, Page 4

RURAL PARABLES AND PLEASANTRIES.

Td tk Mitor. Sir, —I have, read in your valuable j paper of June Ist and 10th two letters, One headed "Is honesty the best policy," and the other "Practice what you preach." Now, I take it, that "Honesty the beat policy' * refers to our local Road .Board) alid the finger post farce, arid I 'certainly contend that honesty is the best policy, and t_ think th<S Board lias fouftd it so. NoW John tShairman compares one of his fellow members named Bill to our M.P. for, Selwyh. .1 have pad the pleasure of knowing Mr C. A.. C Hardy for a. number of years, and I always fotthd him. a gentleman. So John Chairman is not an expert at reading character. However, our Silent Member seems to.have put his hat.on and it fits, so tight as to be . unpleasant. ! Then he tells us to practice what we iprench. What a conscience ! I should think when Silent Bill allowed himself to be nominated and elected as a member of our Road Board, by his action he promised to study the welfare and carq of our roads to the best of his ability ; also the interests of the ratepayers. Sn if they had practiced what they preached there would be less neglected finger posts, and less danger to life and property. Now within half a mile of that famous finger post, there is a. miniature lake from four to five chains long, and some times one or more chains wide during the winter, and during tho summer months a vile smelling stagnant water hole, within about three and five chains of two ratepayers homes, and each has a family of little children. The patience of some ratepayers is marvellous. This vile smelling, stagnant water hole has been there, well known to the Board and the Silent Member, for over two years. and surely it is large enough, for him to see as he passes it so often. Now. Mr Bill, if some of those small children developed typhoid, diptherta, or some other malignant disease, it would bo more serious to us ratepayers than the finger post neglect. So please do practice what you preach, and attend to this little matA RATEPAYER. tiismore, June 11, 1909.