CR FISH AND THE STAR.

Evening Star, Issue 7290, 15 August 1887, Page 4

CR FISH AND THE STAR.

TO the editor. Sir -You have been very liberal in allowing Cr Fish so much publicity for the ''justifactory" speech rnade by him at the City Council on Wednesday evening. Independently of tba "unoallad for and unwarrantable leader in the Star," and the insinuations therein, Cr Fish has deolared himself an honest and lust man, who must givo relief to the unfortunate Corporation lessees." It was wrong of the Star to impute ulterior motives to such a man. « was wrong to suggest that his present enthusiasm in attempting to relievo "thoso unfortunate men who are laboring under burdens they cannot bear" might have originated in a deslro to securo their votos at the forthcoming election for Dunedin South. Unfortunately for Or Fish, when ho takes any very demonstrative itand in the relief of such grievances, the publlo have got into a bad haHt of wondering what is to happen next. Tho Stab is therefore not isolated in this respect. Or Fish is honest enough to state that he hat already secured six votes among the

''unfortunate lessees. Possibly he hopeß to secure the balance of the " fifteen voterß-aaye three" whom ho insures the nubile are opponents of his. I notice thaVcr Fish did not mention the fact that thero is a firm of lessees in Duncdin South whose nnmoration ground rents are more in amount than aU the other leaseholders' put together. This firm is a'very powerful one, and one whose influence could no=Bii)ly secure sufficient votes to turn the scale in an clction. A reduction in ground rent would mean to tho°e lessees a saving possibly of hundreds of pounds per annum. It might be worth a candidate's while to throw ft "bait" out for such an influence, while at th; same lime he "hooked" the votes of the "oppressed" smaller fry >'V a promi;:; of "rolicf."-I am, etc., Diplomacy. Jjiiiifl'ii, August 13.