A STRANGE LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 290, 1 September 1908, Page 5

A STRANGE LETTER.

. CROYifN TENANT'S GRIEVANCES. PAYMENT OF RATES. (BT Tr.l.KtiP.Aril. —SPECIAL COItttESrONnKXT.I Auckland, August 29. The officials in tho Crown Lands Depart- t rnent arc tho recipients from timo to timo of somo curious letters. One correspondent has - .; just favoured tho Commissioner with a re- J markable epistle. It opons with a of thankfulness that there, had been "a-i chango from that Russian system" which'once controlled tho work of tho board. Thowriter then proceeds to sot out his grievances as follows:—"At tho end of 12 years as a» Crown tenant, I was behind with my rates. I saw tho local council clerk. Ho asked me' .if I was going to pay my rates. I told him ' No,' and callcd his attontion to tho injustice wo were getting at tho hands, of tho council. Ho said that ho had nothing to do with it, and pointed out people down the river that paid rates, and never got anything done. I told him two wrongs did not mako ono right, and told him to take it to the Land Board —that is my landlord. Instead of doing that, ho took it to tho S.M. Court. Knowing section 124 of tho Land Act of 1892, I did not fight the case, of -course. Ho did 110 good there. Then he notified mo that'ho was going to take it to tho Land Board. Of course,' that is according to the Act. Finally, I sent a cliequo for tho amount of my ratep, but to bo sure to get a clean receipt I told tho man I entrusted it with not to part with tho cheque, but lie did, and the council's clerk took 15s. law costs and loft mo los. in arrears. Gentlemen,, that is not according to tho Act, but, of course, that isjiis only way to get tho law costs, from a Crown tenant. I suppose he is the only man in tho British Empire that got that - privilego given to him. I was again summoned to appear in Court. I was foolish enough to attend. Imade a statement that the Court had 110 jurisdiction to try tho case, and that it was tho function of tho Land Board. Tho magistrate said'ho had power, and made a long statement. I said— ' If that bo true, why did not tho constablo collect tho money the last timo you tried tho That was too much. Ho could not answer that, but roared out:.' Will you pay tho money now. and . the constable will givo you your receipt ?' I; "said: 'No. Then ho roared out tho liko I havo never heard before, threatening mo with contempt of Court, and that I was tho most ignorant galoot in tho known world. It was a good job for mo that I was a strong man, or I would bo down 011 tho floor. I made a move towards the door. I was ordered back, with tho constable ready to drag mo back suppose I did not come. At this stage I was told what'l 'would get if ho caught mo there again. So you sdo I am becomo an outlaw. I havo no protection—in fact, an outcast 1 because Section 124 was not abided by. Don't you think it a grand thing to bo. a I Crown tenant, to havo to pay for-, every Tom, Jack, and Harry's mistakes? How wfould you liko it if you wero in my p'aco? You sanctioned tho forfeiture of my section for not paying, moneys that thero is 110 Act on tho Statute Book to make mo pay. I challenge: you to prove it. You must admit that tho system of tho Land Board is rot--1 ten, and decidedly,un-British. It is such an institution that an Englishman thinks exists in Russia." Tho correspondent proceeds to ask for a letter justifying tho action of the board. "You need not bo afraid to hit out. I am stone,- 61 years old, and can still stand a hit, and, don't need no nerve tonic. I am also very near Oft., and havo grown up through my hair, and not bad looking. 1 had to sell my farm and my homo, and, what's more, got to leavo tho country in order to,bo a free man.'Now, gentlemen, I now respectfully ask for tho return of that money, namely, £1 14s. 6d. Sir Joseph 'Ward said it is no uso to havo Acts if'they aro liot abided by, so say I. It all causes confusion."