ANOTHER LEASE BOLDER IN REPLY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume IX, Issue 1652, 16 June 1887, Page 2

ANOTHER LEASE BOLDER IN REPLY.

To the Editor of the Star. Sib,— When I read the letter that appeared in your issue of the 13tb, signed " I leaseholder." I was very sorry to think that any leaseholder toy electioneering purposes should cast such unjust imaginative doubts on oar member's sincerity in his endeavors to obtain relief for the leaseholders. Major At* kinson has been working on our behalf ever since the agitation for redaction of rent commenced, and before Mr McGuire propounded his scheme. I beg to inform " Leaseholder " that the bill that was thrown out by the Legislative Council was not on the lines of Mr. McGuire's scheme, but on the lines proposed by Mr. Sutherland and I when in Welling* ton last year. When we saw tbat the petition tbat we were entrusted with would not be successful, we got up a small petition, signed by us as delegates from the leaseholdeas. asking for certain alterations in the West Coast Settlement regulations, and laid it before the Trust Board and the Waste Lands Committee. Tbe latter reported as follows :— " That inasmuch as the subject-matter of this petition can, if deemed desirable, be dealt with by the Board and tbe Government by an alteration of tbe regulations under which these leases are held, without tbe intervention of the Legislature, thi6 committee uas no recommendation to make." Now this was the reason why it was not brought before the House by a direct motion last year. And as regards the action of the Trust; Board, they were willing tbat certain alterations be made to meet the case and regretted tbat the Government declined to sanction it. Therefore, it was the Government, and the Government al>ne, that prevented us from getting the alteration. Tin's took place in July last year, and both before and since that time Major Atkinson, Col. Trimble, and Mr. Samuel have been working conjointly on our behalf, both by personal interviews with Ministers and correspondence during tbe recess ; and it was only when everything else failed that they brought it before tbe House, with the result that, after one of the hardest fights of the session, they got it psssed by a strong majority of the representatives of the taxpayers (only to be thrown out by the Council). Therefore, I think that every leaseholder interested owes a debt of gratitude, not only to the three gentlemen mentioned who took tbe lead in tbe matter, but to all wbo gave them their support in doing their utmost to get us some much-needed relief. Now", Mr. Editor, I have given you a short summary of tbe facts for the benefit of " Leaseholder," which, I think, he could not have been in possession of when he wrote tbe letter alluded to ; and I hope, whatever bis political views may be, that the spirit of fair play will be strong enongh in him to give credit where ever it may be due. — I am, &c, John Heslop.