MR. REID'S CHARGES.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 8, 27 August 1874, Page 3

MR. REID'S CHARGES.

(To the Editor of the Clutha Leader:)? j Sib,— l am sorry to trouble you again^ ; as I do not like to occupy your columns i J without paying for it, but your subileader : | - referring to Mr. Reid's i letter arid my own-l ia so cool, that I think you require a little 3 more warming -tap. By reading our letteral again you -w ill' see that we both rack^qwjl . ledged the irregularity and inefficiency io% the coastal service. '--; What we' objectedSt^:| in your first article was that portion^ it I wherein you charged Mr. Reid with being*! the cause of. this inefficiency. You accuse^ him of resorting to a " questionable-trick" '!>! to drive away opposition, and with buying^ produce himself and giving an undue preference as freight to his own purchases - thereby causing loss and annoyance to '* others. Between us I think we made it >4 pretty plain to your readers if not to yourself that these charges were utterly untrue^ f In yoor leader in reply, instead. of substan^l tiating these charges, or failing' tha^wjth.^ drawing them % a'straightforward "manner^ you have ■ shirkeMhe question in disputed altogether, and you proceed in a very 'self- r complacent style jto: blow your own trumpet about our letters; proving you to be in the ' right on a point where we never differed with you. With, reference to myself you have been kind enough -to 4 express your belief that under certain conditions I wouldnot overcharge my customers. I would have valued your good opinion more had : you not implied that Mr. Reid* as steamboat proprietor had overcharged his, although you have been informed, and you have not disputed the point, that with a : rise of 30 per cent, in working expenses and loss of Government subsidy, he has ■ only raised 5s per ton all round. As you v have drawn to his disadvantage a comparison between' Mr. Reid's charges for freight and mine for stores, you will perhaps allow me still further to elucidate the matter by comparing Mr. Reid's charges with your .. own. I am informed on good authority that the rate of freight by steamer between Liverpool and Glasgow is about the same as that charged by Mr. Reid between Port Molyneux and Dunedin. The distance in the former case is certainly greater, but/ there is no ugly bar to cross as at Por.t : Molyneux, and wages, coal, insurance, &c. all much lower than here. There is also a lively competition, tending to keep down freight, while Mr. Reid in the meantime has ho competition whatever and may be excused for laying it on pretty heavy. I will allow, however, that taking the difference of distance into consideration, Mr. Reid's freight is thirty per cent— and lam certain it is no more— over the home rate. This being the case it will be instructive to put your own charges for the « Clutha Leader ' beside those of home newspapers. * Take for instance, the « Weekly Scotsman,' I think you will allow that it contains at least six times as much reading matter as - the « Clutha Leader.' Well, the price of the * Scotsman ' is just one penny, while :-' the price of the '.Clutha' Leader,' with , one- sixth of its money value is— sixpence ! Mr. Reid, with no competition to keep down his freight, charges thirty per cent over home rates, while you, with the 'Weekly Mercury,' ' Witness,' .'} Bruce Herald,' &c, to keep you in check actually charge your customers the enormous advance over home prices of some three thousand per cent. Ido not know how y °u . account for this state of matters whether from having more business than you can well manage or not. However I only wish I had the chance of using these j figures for my business. So far from beim* ? toghfomed about overcharging my customers, &c, I can^ assureyou~f-would feci— i as easy iv my mind about the matter as ) you seem to be yourself. . The concluding part of your reply in which you appeal to ■<, Mr. Reid whether no one else has an interest in the steamerby whom a preference would be given to goods consigned to him, • points so plainly to the firm to which I belong, that I hasten at once to put you in possession of the appalling facts bo that you may lose no time in taking those remedial measures referred to in your last. The facts are these :— lst. We have an interest, a share in the Tuapeka steamer. 2nd. We ' wish we hadn't. 3rd. We are willing to ■-. part with it. 4th. We have nothing to do 1 with the management of the steamer. 5 th. S We do all we can to get our own and our i customers* grain removed as soon as pbs- . " B ih le « # 6th. We sometimes consign it to ) Mr. Reid and sometimes to others.- I trust ' -i you will breathe more freely now that you y know the worst. Ido not expect you to 4 acknowledge yourself in the wrong— ho cdi- 3i tor ever did— but I think your readers wilt: J own that it was too bad to accuse^Mi*. Beid unjustly, and when remonstrate!, 1 with to add insult to injury by such a ;^l shabby apology, and then; to dismiss him- -<M with a pecksniffiau air of forgiveness' and l| superiority, sufficient at any time to pro- I yoke a breach of the peace. -•>! . In conclusion, might I now ask you to -M turn what Artemas Ward would call vonr'-M "your great intellect" to the subject of : | snags ? These are much tougher subjects^! for discussion- than Mr. : Reid's "question- '^ able tricks," and are likelyito holcf h&d ss out, or in, much io^ger^lj^'&bi,";^;;^ . ■ . ; ■ -Stewart.".' Note.— The rise in freight is greater/ fe^'l Kaitangata, but the settlers in tbat.direc-Si tion have always been independent' ia^ l^ steamers owing to the facility with wbichlij schooners can get in. This '.season; 'hd^^S ever, apparently schooners have foun&^jf more profitable occupation elflewhere,yß>; ; || that the rates charged cannot be so exor-^ bitaht after all. il (Mr. Stewart seems determined to ntea«? -$| sure other person's corn by his own bushelv' VM In his comparison between. tbe^LBADBE and^S other Journals, he only takes into^ account!^ the quantity of read ng^ma^er,:^miiting9^ altogether the maltai -element, • :^z#tti#|§ quality.: But .forJthis^bmißsio^ sionamnst have been quite the oppdflitei^f^S those he "arrived^:;ati^rAs;tb/-:his^irifere^^^ that we : referred to ': his -firm as%iy|Sg^^S preference to proddce consigned '^MMrSm Raid— here again/he-is in ''mot^Mmfi^^m assure, him arid <th£^bliifr tßatlfjr|l|i!^^^ heard his firm mentioned in co^ the matter; '- ; Mr.--|StJyaft^weMev|Ma^S[ no connection . whaii^fe£witht'HieM^^^^^ ferred: to: : BniAiißi&^%ti^m^u^^^^M sohakbanter,— EUliC^^i^^^^^M