THE REFORM ASSOCIATION. TO THE EDITOR.

Evening Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 40, 6 September 1882, Page 3

THE REFORM ASSOCIATION. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir— On Saturday a joint-stock effusion appeared, with the names of Meaars. Qain and Petford attnohed to it, whioh puts oertain ttutements forward as having been made by me, to the effeot that I denied small ratepayers the right to growl— a wicked thing to deny a Britisher his privilegea, and waa never suggested. My contention was simply this— 'J hat 13 men, whose average rates were over £40, were not likely to be anxious to waste money, for this reason, that every £100 wasted means on this ratio 4s oat of each of their pcoketa, and to three of the Councillors it would mean 12a eaoh, whereas the average ratepayer, paying JB2 10a per annum, would contribute 4d; this is- always supposing the waste to exist, this argument being put forward to meet the demand, order, and request of this august body to pay away a sum of about £1700 of the ratepayers' money at their diotatton, and on account of thepeouliarly-emphasised manner in whioh the dozen members of this assnoiation speak of • ounoillors wasting ihrir money, m if they paid the whole rates of the oity, or represented the general body of ratepayers. The next paragraph is relative to this petition. Here I pointed out the general worthlessness of all snoh documents, people generally signing thorn, if they cost nothing, to get rid of a nuisance j that further, tie worthlessneaa of this one stood out in eipeoial relief from the faot that out of 454 names (not 400 as stated in company's letter) 34 eduoated men, capable of writing a good signature, had signed it twice, only to be aooounted for on an extra great nuisance principle ; other 19 names represented nonratepayers, dead men, and people who have left the oolony, so that a ninth of the petition w<ts bogus, in addition to uiual value to bo attached to it ; the net signatures left amount to 401. This letter states that they represent one-half of the vote 3 of the burgesses ; now there happens to be ovor 2900 ratepayers, so the outside unfortunate 2500 ratepayers have, aooording to Messrs. Qnin and Co., about three-fifths of a vote apieoe ; this will require figuring out again. A further remark about one of the Connoillors having been a carter has no doubt been properly estimated by the publio, and if any of the prominent members of the association wish to rise to fame, the sooner they try their hands at it tho better, because at least two distinguished statesmen in New Zealand have been bullock drivers. From your report of the association's meeting, apparently a new light has joined them, Mr. J. H. thaw, who seems to have indulged in tall talk abont "arroganoe" and ''ignorance" tried in the balanoe of publio favour and found wanting. This gentleman is to be complimented in having at last; found a sphere where his talents will meet with. the. high appreciation whioh they merit. Presumably he has joined this olique on the prinoiple that like draws to like, so ohronio growler joins ohronio growler, as this Booiety oonsists of comfortable idlers, whose only occupation is to peregrinate the oity, relating tho history of the ills they are subject to. I am, Ac, H. F. Loo AN.