THE ONEHUNGA TRAMWAY DEADLOOK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 89, 15 April 1903, Page 2

THE ONEHUNGA TRAMWAY DEADLOOK.

(Tr> the Editor.)

Sir, —T cannot allow an open letter to Paul Hansen, Esq., which* appeared in tonight's (Tuesday) issue to pass unchallenged. The norn de plume "Onehimga" is quite a misleading one and altogether inappropriate. "Onehunga" is evidently not a householder, as he speaks of "their" town. More likely than not he is but a bird of passage, and not over particular at that, as he fouls the nest which at present gives him shelter. We do not think for a moment that Queenstreet is a prepossessing one, but that street is not Onehimga. Surely, such a great traveller as "Onehunga" (he goes to town every day on business) does not imagine that the ksser includes the greater. Evidence is to be found on every wide o> Onehunga's rapid growth, and of, its increasing popularity as a residential -.üburb. This great increase in the number of dwellings, and consequently dwellers, must eventually help oui main thoroughfare, "which will in the meantime have no further setback through slabs erected to suit an outside company. I can quite understand your correspondent's soreness at having to pay twopence per day extra pending the settlement of the pole dispute. It seems to me a wrongful "squeeze" on the part of the Tramway Company, but surely Mr Hansen cannot expect by so doing to Influence the vatere-agai&et the Ccmn-

cillors in holding out for their undoubted, rights. As a further lever "Onehunga" puts, forth the'suggestion that Mr Hansen take the Councillors to the Royal Oak and fill them up with whisky. Here again "Onehunga" shows his ignorance of local affairs, for though we, the people of Onehunga, are not "giddy pleasure seekers." arid not sufficiently educated to ,see the beauty which he sees in the wooden slabs, called by courtesy poles, yet we have had up to the present discrimination enough to choose men unwilling to sell their birthright even for a glass of whisky. Mr Hansen contradicts the statements of several Councillors that he promised iron poles. He would now have us believe that the iron poles promised were only for the are lights in connection* with the electric lighting of the town. The Councillors who made these statements are prepared to swear in any court of law that iron poles were promised. Does Mr Hansen wish the public to understand that he contemplated lighting every one of these poles from the Royai Oak" to the wharf? I would suggest, Sir, two ways out of the difficulty: (1) Mr Hansen "to give way and so meet the wisnes of the people; or (2) to proceed with the erection of wooden poiea and so give the Councillors an opportunity of proving at the Supreme Court that they have intelligent officials in their engineer .and solicitors. If Mr Hansen is quite sure of, his position I fail to Bee why he has; not already adopted this latter course.—l am, etc., T . JUSTICE FIRST.