THE GREY-STBEET FIRE AND THE HERALD. To tht Editor of the Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3375, 11 May 1868, Page 3

THE GREY-STBEET FIRE AND THE HERALD. To tht Editor of the Daily Southern Cross.

Sib, — I noticed * curiously written Article in this morning's Herald entitled " The Grey-street Fire," in which the writer, with »n affectation that cannot but provoke a smile,. indicates how yeu ought to apologise to Mr. Commissioner Naughton for haying used certain language which the very worthy Commiisiont r ■omehow construed into a reflection upon himself. Of course the Commissioner was right and you were very naughty. But on turning to your own issue of ; this day's date I was pleased to see that you had forestalled the friendly hint of your contemporary — not indeed after the clumsy and truckling fashion he advisedly _ presumed to dictate, but in a manner at once dignified and complete. Of course, as economy is now the order of the day, we can all sympathise with people labouring under the very natural irritation which the pruning knife has left u in its rough passage across the salary [abstract of many of our provincial officials, and n > doubt it was a very graceful and consistent line of policy on the part of the Herald to advocate sweeping reductions in the numbers and pay of the police force ou one day, although a few days after, when the Council thought fit to reduce big and little alike (acting upon the Herald's advice no doubt), there appeared a leader" begging the Counc 1 to recommit one particular item and to split the difference between the minimum and the maximum of i etreuchment. Verily w« *ll ought to be grateful for small mercies, but that th- Council (again, it would appear, b.-iug advised by the Herald) did not, after rec nsi-lermg tne item alluued to, see any earthly reason for rescinding their former vote, is only another instance of the extreme perversity and wroug-headeduesi of pulitici-na in general and of politicians in particular. 1 wonder whether the amanuensis who wr -te down that leaner had an eye to wielding the constable's baton at some future time. On hecoud thought 1 dun't think h ■ had, or he wouldn't have written the other in favour of unmutilated and uucompromising retrenchment.— l am, &c, Poor Richabd. Auckland, May 9, 1868.