THE BOROUGH ADVERTISING.

Hastings Standard, Issue 200, 18 December 1896, Page 2

THE BOROUGH ADVERTISING.

Sir, —As an old resident and one who has always supported local industry, 1 think you deserve the thanks of the people of Hastings for the excellent paper you have supplied with during the past six months, and I feel convinced that it is only a matter of a short while when you will out-rival other productions in the Hawke's Bay district. However, as a ratepayer, I think you deserve better treatment at the hands of the Coiincil. The remarks of our worthy Mayor when he declared the tender of an outside paper to be cut-throat prices, should have been sufficient for the Council to reject the tender. It was by no means necessary to accept tue lowest tender, and it seems very illbecoming of any body of men that they should be the means of assisting any firm to introduce sweating. I consider, sir, that you made a substantial reduction in your rates, which ought to have been accepted in a fair spirit, when it is considered the amount paid by yourselves in wages in the town, compared with those published elsewhere. I cannot see that the remarks of his Worship apply when he said, if they did not accept the lowest tender they would probably find themselves without any tenders on a future occasion. My opinion is that if anything like fair rates were paid it would be the means of inducing other papers to enter the contest. . As things are at the present time, the local firms are getting absolutely nothing from the Council, and the taxpayers money is sent away to build up establishments in another place whose only interest here is the amount of money they can squeeze out of us. It should be the desire of everyone who has the interest of the place at heart to endeavour as much as possibly to have money spent locally, and the ratepayers money would have been well spent if the Council's work had been performed ill Hastings. —I am &c., Old Resident.